A Night To Remember
by aemstar
Summary: Emily Fields is out clubbing with her friends in a desperate attempt to forget about her abusive ex-girlfriend Paige. Emily's night takes an unforeseen turn when she meets a beautiful mysterious stranger who helps her to forget about her abusive relationship, but there's a secret yet to be revealed about the young woman that will change everything. I don't own Pretty Little Liars!
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter One – A Night To Remember**_

The music pulsed incessantly in Emily's sore ears as she got constantly bumped on the crowded dance floor. Hanna and Aria were grinding up against their boys while she watched on enviously, trying desperately hard to not think of her now ex-girlfriend Paige while also trying not get dry hump by random drunk strangers. Spencer and Toby had disappeared about twenty minutes early to line up to buy some drinks and judging by the length of the line they would be a little while longer still.  
She wasn't even aware of why she came out with her friends that night. Besides the fact she was feeling completely alone in a room full of strangers, this was apparently her friend's way of showing her how to forget about Paige.  
It was failing miserable.  
And the loud music was not helping; the club scene was never her scene and it seemed it never would be.

"Where are you going?" Hanna screamed over the music, Emily was surprised she even heard her in the first place.

"Bathroom." She yelled back before turning around and heading out of the dance floor giving Hanna no time to question her further.  
Emily made her way downstairs at the other end of the club; it was significantly quieter and instead of just a line for drinks there was an actual bar that had seats.  
Finding the first available stool she made herself comfortable and listened to the music that hummed gently in the background. The loud bass from upstairs could still be heard but it was faint. Emily found she was a lot more comfortable but with no music slowly deafening her she found her thoughts quickly moving back to Paige.  
Emily had been with Paige for almost four years; they were high school sweethearts and even planned to go to College together but towards the end of senior year Paige was becoming angry and abusive, and not just emotionally.  
Emily had heard it all before; her friends had spent several hours a week trying to convince her to leave but Paige would always catch on and then guilt trip the brunette into staying.  
Out of the blue a few days ago Paige came home from work and demanded Emily to move with her to California for college, when she said no Paige began enraged and struck her, causing large black-purple bruise to form around her eye. Usually Paige would never be so rough; there were a few small bruises and pushes every now and then but nothing this drastic. It finally gave Emily the incentive to leave but now she was alone, in a club surrounded by drunken smelly strangers.

"What can I get you?" The taller barkeep asked Emily, pulling her from her deep inner thoughts.

"Scotch Whiskey." She replied to the young looking man who rose his eyebrows at her choice in beverage, Emily however decided not to acknowledge his curiosity and instead went back to playing with the pieces of napkin that the previous seater had no dubitably ripped up in a drunken haze.  
She nodded a small thanks when he placed the drink in front of her before departing to serve another customer.

"He's not very customer friendly, hey?" A voice broke Emily's thoughts causing her to look away from the ice in her drink that had already begun to melt.  
Next to her was a beautiful young woman, though it was dark she could still see the extravagant features of the stranger, her hair was a bleached blonde but it looked natural and her eyes were a bright blue that reminded Emily of the ocean.  
It had been so long since Emily had spoken to a woman who wasn't her friends or Paige and so she was lost for words.

"No, but no one in clubs really are." Emily took a swig at her drink before drawing her attention back to the blonde. She was wearing jeans and a tight leather jacket, accompanying her clothes was a warm looking scarf, which was odd due to the temperature inside.

"True." The young woman chuckled before drinking from her own glass.

"Bit warm for a scarf, isn't it?" Emily questioned as she continued to drink. The blonde shrugged before revealing her perfect teeth in a glorious smile.

"It looks fabulous so it's a small price to pay." There was a moment silence in which Emily finished her drink and asked the barkeeper for another. She looked over at the blonde whose eyes were still on her, observing Emily carefully, almost trying to figure out something the brunette wasn't aware.  
Emily tried to ignore the blonde's burning gaze and directed her thoughts elsewhere.

"Can I buy you a drink?" She asked, noticing the empty glass in front of the beautiful stranger.

"Sure." She smiled warmly and Emily flagged down the man that had been playing on his phone to pass the time.  
When he placed Alison's drink in front of her he looked at her for a moment too long, his eyes scrunched together tightly almost as if he had seen the blonde before.

"Can I help you?" She asked with a sassy attitude and the man quickly straightened and walked away.

"New in town, huh?" Emily asked with a soft chuckle.

"How did you know?"

"It's a small town, if you've been here long enough everyone knows you."

"So why are you here all by your lonesome then?" She asked as she watched Emily take another large gulp from her glass, feeling like there was more to the brunette than met the eye.

"Well, my friends are upstairs but I couldn't stand the noise so I escaped. So I guess technically I'm not here alone. More than I can say for you though."  
Emily sipped violently at her drink out of nervous habit, for some reason this beautiful young woman was making her more anxious than she had been in a long time, it was an odd feeling.

"What makes you think I'm here alone?" The blonde raised her eyebrow curiously.

"I have two theories." Emily murmured gently. "I'm thinking if you were with other's you'd be upstairs dancing, or at least drinking with them. So I'm guessing you're down here because you needed a place to think but had to get away from certain others to do it."

The blonde raised her eyebrow even higher at Emily's accuracy but didn't say anything; she merely took a sip of her drink and watched the brunette's hair flow effortlessly passed her shoulders.

"And the other theory?" She pushed.

"You're a vampire." The brunette mumbled before taking another sip from her drink, the remark made the blonde almost spit hers at the barkeeper at the other end of the bar who looked up at the sudden loud laughter coming from the pair.

"Off what logic exactly?"

"Well, its night time, you're drinking a beverage you are pretending to like which might mean you're actually in disguise while scoping out some meal tickets. _Plus_ , you are like physically flawless, a main characteristic of a modern vampire."  
The blonde observed Emily for several minutes, in which she ordered another drink; it seemed she was drinking away some dark sorrows.

"Interesting theories."

"Which one is it? I'm never wrong so it's got to be one of those two." The blonde laughed quietly before putting her fingers to her chin as if deep in thought.

"Well one of them is definitely correct." She noted sarcastically.

"You're a vampire! I knew it!" Emily slammed her hand on the table dramatically as she spoke causing the blonde to laugh with her.

"I'm not a fan of alcohol; I'm just drinking it so I don't look completely out of place."

"No offense but look around, you're still very out of place." Emily pointed around the room at the other few occupants in the dark room, most had their heads tipped in drunkenness or slumped on a table.

"What's your name?" The blonde asked, smiling at the brunette's compliment.

"Emily." She stretched out her hand and connected it with the blonde's smooth and very soft hand, it felt rough in comparison but she didn't seem to notice.

"Vivian."

"That's not your real name." Emily counters with confidence she didn't know she had, it seemed she had reached the stage of drunk where she was no longer the shy one. At least her words weren't slurred.

"You're good." The blonde chuckled softly.

"I can understand though. I'm betting it's still a three syllable name still, something beautiful but everyone shortens it out of laziness." Emily finished the last of her drink but decided that she had had enough; she wanted to remember this beautiful young woman forever.

"You're very smart, Emily. Tell me more about yourself." Vivian moved closer to the brunette and propped her arm up on the bar while watching the brunette watch her.

"Me? There's not much to know, you however seem mesmerizingly interesting." Emily turned to face Vivian and she was still wondering why she was wearing such a puffy scarf, it almost covered her face.

"I want to know about you. And like you always being right, I always get my way."

"I kind of got that vibe." Emily chuckled as she pushed some hair that had fallen across her face away, bumping her bruised eye accidently.

"So tell me, are you like a boxer or something?" She replied, noticing Emily's eyes scrunch at the pain.

"What an odd question." Emily laughed.

"Not really considering you winced in pain when you touched your eye, that's suggesting you either had some boxing class earlier this week or you seriously pissed off someone." Emily looked away slightly embarrassed, she hadn't realised her eye was so noticeable in the dark.  
Sensing the brunette's hesitant Vivian quickly changed topics. "Sorry, that's not my place. Where did you go to school?"  
She asked, letting Emily recover from her slight abruption.

"Here in Rosewood, been here all my life. I was going to go to college after I graduated but, well, life got in the way I suppose." Emily felt that even though the blonde was astonishingly kind and beautiful, she wasn't ready to talk about her relationship with Paige to anyone, let alone a complete stranger.  
Quickly Emily flagged down the barkeeper and asked for water; Vivian raised her eyes quizzically at the choice but didn't say anything.

"What were you going to study?" Vivian's hand went to Emily's, noticing the brunette's scrunching eyes in discomfort thinking about whatever was circling in her mind.

"Um... I-I hadn't really thought about it." Emily found herself becoming distracted at the contact; no one had touched her so gently in a long time. "What about you? Are you in college?"

"Something like that." Vivian replied, revealing her pearly white teeth once again. When the man returned with Emily's bottled water her hands quickly moved away, unsure as to why however. It wasn't like she was ashamed to hold another girls hand, it was more this Vivian girl seemed private.

"You know, I think I'm gonna go with the vampire theory. You're very mysterious." Emily chuckled.

"Me? Emily, you're the mysterious one." Vivian's hand played with her scarf briefly before going back to the bar. At that movement it revealed some of her neck and momentarily Emily's thoughts went to kiss it but she quickly shook the thoughts away.

"You could sum my life up in under half an hour, Vivian." Emily didn't like calling the blonde by the fake name; it didn't seem to match her at all.

"Well you'd better get talking then."

"Oh, my, god there you are! We've been looking all over for you!" Hanna almost shouted as she made her way to the brunette that was sitting at the bar by herself. Vivian had excused herself to the bathroom and Hanna, Spencer and Aria had arrived less than two minutes later.

"Sorry, I got distracted."

"I was about to say, that's a long bathroom break. You've been down here for almost two hours at least." Aria said as she looked at her watch.

"Come on, Spencer is being a grandma and wants to go home, plus the clubs closing soon anyway." Hanna pulled at Emily's arm but when the brunette remained still she looked up curiously.

"I'm gonna stay a little longer." Emily muttered, even if it was almost closing time she would say goodbye to the beautiful blonde stranger that made her forget about Paige for more than a few seconds.  
Her friends looked at each other curiously; Spencer being the only sober one even raised her eyebrows knowing that there was a specific reason for her staying but decided not to voice it.  
Giving everyone a hug goodbye Emily remained behind and waited for the blonde to return.

"Were those your friends?" Vivian asked as she sat down next to her again.

"Yes, a bunch of odd balls they are." Emily laughed.

"Which one was which?" Vivian had caught a quick glimpse of them leaving as she exited the bathroom and since Emily had spent almost an hour talking about them she a least wanted a name to the face.

"Tallest is Spencer, blonde one is Hanna and the shorty is Aria."

"I'd like to meet them one day." Emily watched as Vivian pulled out her phone and looked at the time. Her eyebrows rose at how late it was, she didn't intend on staying out this late but meeting the brunette was an even better turn out to the night than what she was expecting.

"Time to go?" She asked with disappointment dripping in her voice.

"I'm afraid so." Vivian mumbled, quickly handing the brunette her very expensive new iPhone. "Put your number in."

Emily paid for both their drinks before standing and continuing to enter her number into Vivian's phone.

"You didn't have to do that." The blonde insisted.

"It's just another excuse for us to meet again." They made their way to the nearest exit which led to a cold alleyway. Emily understood why Vivian had worn the scarf now, however ignoring the chilly air that seeped into her skin she handed the phone back to Vivian.

"Buffy?" She asked, looking at the contact curiously causing Emily to laugh.

"The vampire slayer." She said with a wink, quickly she wrapped her arms around her body trying to keep as much heat with her as she could. Vivian smiled and removed her scarf from her neck, quickly she wrapped it around Emily's and rubbed the brunette's jumper covered arms.

"You didn't have to do that."

"Think of it as another excuse for us to meet again." She smiled, the cold air biting at her neck but for the first time in a long time feeling completely warm all over.  
Emily's hands reached for Vivian's, closing the distance between them.

"We will meet again, yes?" She asked hopefully and Vivian nodded with a beautiful smile. "Tonight has been the most magically night, Vivian."

"Alison."The blonde almost whispered, leaning up to the brunette but still leaving space. "My real name is Alison."

"I like that a lot better." Emily closed the distance between them, slowly placing her hands onto Alison's cheeks to bring her into a chaste kiss. It was magical; Emily felt the fireworks move from her lips to the pit of her stomach as Alison's arms reached up around her neck, pulling her even closer.  
Emily's own hands left the blonde's cheeks and went to her waist, wrapping her up so the rest of the world didn't seem to exist. Their tongues having a silent battle for dominance as the kiss remained innocent, though the passionate fire was lingering behind both lips. Suddenly a loud beeping came from Alison's pocket, causing the pair to disconnect.

"I have to go." Alison slowly unwrapped herself from Emily's embrace and pulled her phone from her pocket, ignoring the call that was buzzing her phone to life.

"What?" Emily asked mildly surprised at the blonde's sudden change of behaviour.

"I have to go." She repeated when her phone began buzzing again, locking it once more she leant up to kiss Emily lightly on the cheek before turning and walking down the alley. Emily chased after the departing blonde and grabbed her arm, trying to stop her from leaving.

"Stay." She said, panic in her tone.

"I must go." Hastily Emily brought the blonde in for another kiss it was full of passion and desperation, the sound of thunder echoing in the sky as they parted once more. "You can't follow me. Goodbye, Emily. " Alison warned before turning and running down the alley and out of sight.

"Goodbye, Alison." She whispered as a hard rain began to fall from the sky. Turning the other way Emily looked up at the sky that had opened up in under a minute. "Wow it's raining. My life is a walking clique."

 **Hope everyone enjoyed. I don't really know where I'm going with this one yet but I just started writing and I liked it.  
Also, I have nothing against Paige's character in the show I just think she'll do for where I'm **_**hoping**_ **the story to go.  
Anyways, hope you guys liked it so far. Let me know what you think :)  
Follow and favourite if you like, I'm hoping for regular updates.  
And reviews are greatly appreciated as always! Thanks guys!**

 **-Aemstar xx**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

Emily awoke the next day with a headache, although she didn't have any other symptoms of a hangover. The usual bright light of the sun peeping through her closed blinds as her early wakeup call was instead replaced with the soft rumble of thunder in the distance. Unwillingly opening her eyes she looked up from her warm pillow and over to her covered window, already detesting the fact that it was going to be one of those rainy, slow Friday's.  
Standing from her bed Emily opened her blinds to look at the day outside, it was miserable, the rain hadn't stopped since the night before and the sun was nowhere to be seen.  
Emily looked down from her apartment at the misty street below and realised Hanna's car was parked.  
Like she had a mental cue the blonde burst through the door with the daily newspaper in her hands.

"Oh. My. _God_!" She screamed while making her way to Emily.

"Well good morning Hanna, come on in." She yawned as she walked over to wardrobe and pulled out the nearest jacket, a pill of her dirty soccer clothes occupying a good percentage of the floor in the small space and was creating an undesirable smell that she tried to hide by closing the door.  
She wasn't even sure why she had signed up to play a sport she wasn't really interested in but her friend Samara had insisted and she couldn't say no. Getting distracted Emily drew her attention back to Hanna who seemed more hyperactive than usual, she would think about soccer later.

"No wonder you stayed later last night!" Hanna exclaimed, ignoring Emily's previous sarcastic remark.

"What are you talking about?" She questioned as she placed the woollen item over her head.

" _Everyone_ is talking about it." Hanna continued as she paced around the room clutching to the newspaper.

"Talking about what, Hanna?" Emily rubbed her head, as if the motion would somehow make the pain disappear. Stopping in her tracks Hanna opened the paper that looked like it had opened and closed on twenty separate occasions. On the front cover was a large picture, it was blurry but never the less still easily recognised was Emily and Alison sitting at the bar holding hands.  
Her mouth dropped in horror as she read the headlines:

" **FAMOUS AND FLIRTY!"**

 **A source tells Rosewood Daily that the famous actress Alison DiLaurentis was found at the club scene late last night and has been seen getting very up close and personal with local accountant Emily Fields.  
The big time superstar has been rumoured to move here to shoot a new movie and was out last night in disguise as an attempt to what we believe, to be normal.  
Read more on page 6.**

"How did they even get my name?" Emily swallowed in terror.

"Wait, wait. It gets better, go to page six." Hanna rambled quickly as she watched Emily's eyebrows rise.  
Turning the paper very slowly as if hoping that on page six was a completely different story, knowing however that wouldn't be the case she sat on the bed and found the page she was dreading to view.  
Slapped across two full pages were several different pictures of her and Alison and a large picture of them kissing in the alley was staring directly at her.  
Many questions ran through Emily's head, she was not aware of who this DiLaurentis girl was but it seemed that the girl she had meet last night was not only famous, but _super duper crazy_ famous.

"Who is she?" Emily asked, though she knew the Alison she met last night was the Alison DiLaurentis they were talking about in the newspaper, she was slightly confused as to why such a famous celebrity would be talking to her.

"Well I'd hope you'd know, Emily. You seemed to enjoy kissing her last night!" Hanna giggled playfully.

"No, I _mean_ who is she? I'm well aware that I was kissing her last night. I've never seen her before."

"Oh my god, Emily! You've never heard of Alison DiLaurentis? I bet she was offended."

"I obviously didn't know she was famous last night, dingus!" Emily muttered while trying to rub away the headache that was growing.

"How could you not know? She's been on every headline for months, her movie posters are practically everywhere and I'm pretty sure she's even in some TV commercials." Hanna sat down next to Emily and looked between her and the photos spread over the paper. "Is she a good kisser?"

"Seriously?" Emily looked from the offending article to her friend who merely shrugged her shoulders in response.

"What? That girl is so attractive she made _me_ question my sexuality."

"You're not helping."

"Man, Paige is going to spew when she sees this!" Hanna commented as she grabbed the paper and continued to stare at the crappy photos that had obviously been taken on a phone. She had never been a fan of Paige, or more the way she treated Emily in the relationship.  
Emily's head snapped up in horror at the thought of ex-girlfriend.

" _Fuck_."

"Oh don't worry about it! It's finally some pay back for all the shit she put you through."

"Hanna, I don't _want_ pay back. I just want to get on with my life." Emily rolled her eyes and looked over at her bedside table where her phone sat charging, she was secretly hoping Alison would call, although she had a gut feeling that was never going to happen now.

"Well getting with the biggest, hottest celebrity on the planet is always a good start."

"I didn't _get_ with her, we just talked and it was nice."

"By the looks of it, it was one steamy kiss Em." Hanna turned the paper around in different directions and stared intrusively.

"Can you please stop looking at that?" Emily snatched the article from Hanna's hands and scrunched it up into large ball before throwing it in her mini bin across the room.

"I'll just go on the internet and look then." She smiled mischievously. Emily rolled her eyes and reached for her phone.  
No messages, but it was almost nine in the morning.

"Shit! We're going to be late for work!" She jumped from the bed and rushed to her wardrobe pulling out the nicest blouse she could find, ignoring the smell that emitted from the floor.

"Relax Em, we've got half an hour."

Within ten minutes Emily was dressed and was onto doing her make-up. Hanna was flicking through the several articles on her phone about Alison and Emily; it was amazing how much trafficking the internet could do in one night.

"Will you stop that?" Emily said noticing the blonde's scavenger hunt for information.

"Did you know she's younger than us? God, that's depressing."

"Why is that depressing?" Emily murmured as she finalised her eyeliner.

"Because she's accomplished more in a year, then I will in my whole life."

"Right, anyway since you're here you can take me to work." Emily replied as she made her way out of her room and down the hallway towards the front door, Hanna close behind.

"Fine but you've got to clean up your apartment; I can smell your soccer stuff from here." She chuckled as she followed Emily outside and waited for her to lock the door.

*  
As Hanna drove the jittery Emily into town for work she would occasionally glimpse over to the side and away from the road to find her idly playing with her fingers.

"Something on your mind?" She giggled as she pulled the car to a complete halt in the offices allocated car park underground. Emily looked up, so distracted with her thoughts she didn't even realise Hanna had turned the car off and was grabbing her bag.

"It's nothing, look can we not bring up the whole... Alison DiLaurentis thing? I just want to make it through today and then have the weekend to myself."

"Alright, alright, I'll restrain myself."

They got out of the car in unison and listened to the sound of their doors shut echo through the large underground space.  
Making their way to the elevator Hanna was trying to not to explode from holding in so many questions, she wasn't even sure as to how she had lasted the twenty minute car trip in mostly silence.

"Do you think many people will know?" Emily questioned as the elevator doors shut and the gears roared to life, pulling them up and out of the concrete cavern.

"Nah, probably not." The blonde lied, trying not to push any of Emily's buttons. She really had no clue what was in store for that day but she sure as hell wasn't going to break any bad news to Emily.  
Hanna was a receptionist while Emily worked in accounting, their jobs easy enough but busy enough to keep them occupied.  
Emily was hoping that today would fly by and considering it was a Friday she would only be there until five thirty.  
The doors opened again to reveal the mostly white hallways of the office, cubicles were in every different direction while in the centre was a medium size desk where the receptionists answered phone calls.  
Every head moved in their direction as the bing of the doors chimed throughout the floor, when the on lookers realised who was entering they began whispering to one another. Though less than ten people were working that day Emily looked over at Hanna with raised eyebrows; she merely smiled innocently and tried to ignore the eyes that were bearing into her and Emily.

"I said _probably not_." She defended as they walked into the room.

"Hmm." She mumbled sarcastically. "I'll see you at lunch."  
Walking away Emily put her head down and sat in her chair, finding sanctuary in her small cubicle.  
Turning her computer on, it slowly began buzzing with power and hummed until the black screen went blue and then to the log in menu.  
Entering her details, she stood slightly and looked at the different cubicles in the room, as her head left the space of her own several heads that had surfaced disappeared downwards.  
Rolling her eyes she waited for her computer to log in, today however it seemed to be taking forever, her office seriously needed to update their technology. Pulling her phone from her pockets she checked if there were any messages.  
Disappointed to find none she heard her boss Bill, open his private office door and it distracted her momentarily long enough to forget about the crappy technology. He was young, maybe in his mid thirties, his dark brown hair was well kept and he was always suited up nicely.

"Emily?" He called as he found her and waved his hand with a smile, suppressing a cringe when she caught his eye she smiled back and walked towards his office.  
She could feel everyone's eyes on her as she walked, she felt like she was in high school again, getting called out for passing a note in class or something.

"Come in." He motioned as she stopped in front of him waiting for his instructions.

"Is everything alright, Mr. Campton?" Emily asked as she turned around to face her boss as he shut the door behind them.

"Yes of course, Emily. And come on, no one calls me that here." He sat down at his desk and motioned her to sit in one of the two seats that were placed across from him. Seating she watched him button up his blazer and look towards his computer which was one of the latest in Mac Products.

"Sorry, Bill." She corrected herself. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, I just called you in to discuss a few things." Emily swallowed, trying to ignore the anxiety that was sitting in the pit of her stomach. "Now I wanted to make note of all the fuss that has been made in the news today and I wanted to make sure that you were okay?"

Emily was mildly surprised at his concern but she smiled respectfully before answering.

"I'm okay."

"Good, now I know what it's like to be bothered by the media, so if you need anything feel free to ask. Also if anyone in the office is giving you problems I can sort it out, I have no tolerance for gossip."

"Thank you, Bill." Emily was thankful for his generosity but at the same time she was extremely embarrassed for being in the situation.

"Alright, well we'd better get back to work. Can't run the business chit-chatting, can we?" Emily smiled courteously before exiting the room.

A few hours had passed slowly but Emily had managed to get her work done, Hanna walked over to her cubicle and knocked on the plywood, interrupting her thoughts.

"I got us some lunch; want to join me in the staff room?"

"Yeah, sounds good." Heading down the hall the girls made their way to the lunch room, it had a few occupants who looked curiously at the door but quickly averted their eyes when they realised who was entering. The television was on the news channel but no one was listening, it was just providing some background cover noise for the people who always chewed that little bit too loudly.

"God, it's not like I've murdered someone." Emily whispered as she and Hanna sat down at a free table, again trying to ignore the looks that were burning holes in their backs.

"They're all just jealous cause they weren't the ones with her." Hanna joked, trying to keep Emily slightly positive about the situation.

"It was just a kiss, Hanna."

"You and I know that but others don't. You know what the media is like; it's been giving Alison DiLaurentis more grief than you." Hanna looked towards the screen where an old gentleman on the news was talking about some Politian debate, boring her beyond compare.

"I don't understand why she didn't tell me... she was famous." Emily rubbed her head subconsciously before opening the sandwich Hanna had bought her.

"I don't understand either. So, just to be clear... you guys didn't...uh..."

"God Hanna, I _just_ broke up with Paige." She rolled her eyes in frustration and took a large bite out of her food.

"Rebound sex is always good." She whispered.

"I'm not one for rebound sex. Anyway she's not a rebound." Hanna raised her eyebrows curiously, she could understand the brunette's frustration but she couldn't help being so nosey.

"It's more than that?"

"I don't know and I'll probably never know. She's never going to call me."

"Why don't you call her?"

"I never got her number." Emily answered disappointedly but before Hanna could respond the man on the National news screen began talking about some sort of breaking news that caught everyone's attention.

" **Big news in the Hollywood world today as the famous superstar Alison DiLaurentis comes into the spotlight once again. This time however the actress has been found sneaking around in the back alleys and sleazy bars of a small town called Rosewood. The twenty-one year old has been spotted in a dark bar at the early hours of the morning with another young woman, they been described as comfortable and flirty."**

Emily watched the television as several pictures of her and Alison began to pop up next to the reporter, rubbing her head once more she pushed away the sandwich and continued to watch the news.

" **For months now the star has never been seen with a male companion and then came to raise the question of her sexuality. A few months ago when question by Fashion Magazine 'Runway' she replied with this:"**

The screen went black and then went straight to a video of Alison sitting on a comfy white lounge, a poster of one of her movies in the background.

" _ **I am still young; at my age there is no need to always be with someone. Just because I choose to live on my own or be on my own doesn't mean one needs to question my sexuality. A woman can choose to be lonely if she so wish desires. If a man in this community was alone they would consider him a bachelor but if a woman is alone she is either unaware of her sexuality or crazy. Sexuality is not something to be questioned and definitely not something to be ashamed of."**_

Emily smiled at how determined Alison was; even from an old interview she radiated beauty and dominance, it was something she picked up in the blonde instantly the night before.

" **Even for such a young woman, Alison DiLaurentis is definitely strong with her words, earlier this morning our very own Jayne Gregson caught the stifling celebrity on her way to her movie set."**

" _ **Miss DiLaurentis! Miss DiLaurentis! Jayne Gregson from 'National five News'. Is it true about your scandalous relationship with Emily Fields? Do you have anything to comment?"**_

Alison was getting into a black car with some taller gentleman, he was basically pure muscle and went to turn the cameraman away when the woman reporter snuck passed him with her microphone and pestered Alison for an answer. Emily's heart skipped a beat when she looked at Alison; the blonde was dressed in a beautiful flowery dress and it flowed gently in the breeze or with each graceful movement.

" _ **I have no comment."**_

Her answer was almost robotic as she waved her security guard off the cameraman, it seemed the quicker he was at her side the quicker she could get in the car.

" _ **But Miss DiLaurentis! There is substantial evidence to show your relationship with Emily Fields was more than a friendly chat at a bar, can you tell us what happened?"**_

" _ **What happened between Miss Fields and I, is between us and it will remain with only us, thank you for your time but I am already late."**_

The blonde turned away from the camera and was in the car and out of sight before the reporter could ask another question. Emily was glad she hadn't gone into great detail about what had happened the night before.  
Watching interview lead her to believe that though there was no possible way for Alison to know Emily was watching that news report, she was sending a clear message in hopes that Emily wouldn't reveal anything. Not that she would have anyway; she was still too shocked to even believe this was really happening.

" **Miss DiLaurentis hasn't been seen since she left her movie set with her security guard early this afternoon. Unfortunately, we couldn't get a hold of Emily Fields for a comment but with the lack of appearance on her behalf we have reason to believe the young woman is just after her fifteen minutes of fame."**

" _What!_?" Emily stood from her chair, causing all heads to turn in her direction. Forgetting where she was she grabbed her bag and left the room, not bothering to listen to the rest of the news report.

"Hey, don't worry about it. It's just the news, no one listens to that." Hanna followed Emily to Bill's office. Knocking on the door Emily turned to Hanna and raised her eyes higher than she though physically possible.  
Moments later Bill came to the door, he opened it in surprise when he realised it was Emily; he had obviously just watched the news report himself.

"Hi Mr. Campton, look I'm really sorry to bother you but can I please leave early today? I've done all the work you assigned me to do and I'll even work over time next week." Emily was flustered and beyond embarrassed as she asked her boss to leave.

"That won't be necessary Emily. You can go." He smiled sympathetically before Emily quickly turned to Hanna.

"I'll call you later."

Seconds later Emily was gone, she didn't bother to wait for the elevator and instead took the stairs. Almost jumping them she made her way outside and placed her thick blazer on, the rain was light but it looked like it was going to hit harder any minute.  
Breathing in the fresh air like she had been cooped up in a dark basement for years, Emily almost chocked as the icy atmosphere entered her lungs.  
Pulling up her collar she headed down the road and began her long walk home.  
She could feel the stares from others on the footpath bear into her as she quickly passed them, she was already regretting walking but she had no other option.

After about ten minutes of walking in the heavy rain and other people staring Emily felt like she was going to lose it, quickly turning down an alley to avoid any more people she decided she would take the back route home. It was only five minutes longer onto the walk and if that meant less people staring then five minutes could bring it on.  
Moments later she could hear the sound of a car humming behind her; at first she thought they were just waiting for her to move so they could overtake her but when she adjusted her position to the far side the car remained its position.  
Turning around to a complete stop Emily tried to focus on the driver but with the tinted windows it was useless. It was a slick car, it looked expensive and very fast but for the sports car design it was also very large, making the "Ferrari" symbol on the front very noticeable.  
The car pulled up next to her and the passenger door opened, at first she couldn't see who was inside because of how heavy the rain was but when a voice soon followed she moved closer to hear.

"Well you're not going to let my car get wet on the inside are you?" She recognised the voice instantly.  
Awkwardly slipping in the car and shutting the door behind her Emily was met with Alison DiLaurentis' bright blue eyes staring straight at her.

"Seat belt." She commanded and quickly sped down the alley way and back out onto the streets. Emily didn't know what to say and she didn't know if she wanted to speak in the first place.  
Alison DiLaurentis looked furious.

 **So a few people said Alison was a prostitute, which I thought was interesting! But unfortunately nahhhhhh, she's a celebrity :P  
Hope you guys are enjoying it! I've gotten some very positive feedback.  
Stay tuned for the next update**

 **-Aemstar**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

The rain was heavy against the windshield of the car causing a thick mist to cover a clear vision for the angered driver, Emily was sure if Alison went any faster the car was aqua glide but each time the car moved elegantly around a corner Alison showed no sign that the vehicle would fail.  
They were driving for less than twenty minutes when Alison pulled into the driveway of an old abandoned building complex of the run-down industrial area in the outskirts of Rosewood; Emily didn't even really watch the drive, she was too busy playing with her thumbs.  
Stopping the engine Alison kept her hands on the steering wheel, squeezing tightly as if it was going to calm her.

"Why did you go to the media?" Alison was the first to speak, her eyes still straight ahead but Emily's shot up within seconds.

"I didn't go to the media." She blurted out, offended.

"Well I didn't take those photos and no one knew I was there." Her eyes were burning with an angry fire that would've shaken Emily to the core if she hadn't felt just as angry herself.

"Alison, I didn't even know who you were until this morning!" She replied while taking off her seatbelt and facing the blonde who's hands were still clutching to the steering wheel.

"Okay, this is going to sound _really_ self-absorbed and arrogant but how could you not know who I am? I thought you were just pretending to not know, I thought it was part of your charm." Alison finally released her hold and looked towards Emily with frustration.

"I wasn't pretending _anything_! And it definitely wasn't part of some _charm_ scheme, have you been famous for that long you've forgotten what it's like to have someone genuinely flirt with you? Because they _genuinely_ think you're amazing without the celebrity part? You seriously can't believe that I like you, just because of who you are, instead of what you do?"

Alison stopped at Emily's boldness; it was definitely not what she was expecting. She had thought Emily had used her to get some media attention.

"You really think I'm the one who set up someone to take those photos?"

"I don't know what I think." Alison replied, her tone short and unimpressed with Emily's answer.  
Feeling embarrassment course through her Emily held back the tears that had formed in her eyes, threatening to break the surface and reveal to Alison her weaknesses.  
Opening the door she got out without another word.  
Hearing the driver side door open she resisted every urge in her body to look and see if the blonde had gotten out.

"So that's it? You're just going to leave?" Alison called as she left her car door open, no longer caring if the inside got wet.

"What do you want me to say? I told you it wasn't me and you didn't believe it. When I said I liked you, you couldn't believe that either. What else can I possibly say, Alison?" Emily turned to watch Alison as the blonde closed the distance between. Frustration was seeping through her skin as she remained a few short paces away from her.

"I don't know what you can say, Emily." She replied softly, the rain loud over her voice.

"Then why am I here?" Emily waited patiently as Alison thought over several different answers in her head.  
When the blonde didn't answer for several long minutes Emily felt her shoulders drop in disappointment.

"I can't do this, Alison." Emily was referring to the frustration and the confusion, it reminded her too greatly of what her and Paige used to be and she wasn't about to jump into another relationship like that.

"Emily!" Alison called while running after the brunette, she wasn't about to let this go, not after everything the media had put her through today especially if Emily was lying and had indeed told someone.

"What?" Emily replied, frustrated.

"You can't just leave when things get hard." She accused.

"This is _beyond_ hard, Alison." Emily turned to keep walking and Alison could feel her anger bubble deep in the pit of her stomach with each step the brunette would take.

"Is that why you left your girlfriend? Is that why you didn't take the _full scholarship_ for sport to Stanford? Because it was all too hard?"  
Alison couldn't help her condescending tone was but she was angered to the bone, how could she not think that Emily had gone to the media? Everyone always did and surely if the young brunette was walking away from her it was because she couldn't face what she had done.  
Emily stopped in her tracks and felt her fists ball up tightly at Alison's question.

"You don't know _a thing_ about why I didn't take that scholarship and you don't know a thing about me." She almost screamed over the rain.

"I know a lot more than you think." Alison's eyebrows rose challengingly and Emily could feel her face turn red with fury.

"You stay out of my life, Alison!" Emily went to turn again when Alison moved to follow her, she could sense that the blonde wasn't going to give up easily but she was in no mood to be accused of such things.  
Immediately Alison regretted how harshly she had spoken to Emily, for she could see the hurt in the brunette's eyes, she could see the pain flash uncontrollably through the beautiful chocolate watery irises and how those eyes relived each painful memory. Her automatic reaction was to move closer to Emily and comfort her but she backed away as quickly as Alison had moved.

"No, don't come near me! And don't you _dare_ follow me!" Emily spat towards the taken aback blonde before turning and running out of the industrial area and down the road. She knew it would be impossible to outrun a Ferrari on the road so she quickly darted out of sight into the woods and headed towards what she assumed was back to town. Letting the tears fall as she went.

After almost forty minutes of walking and crying Emily made it to the confinements of her apartment. It maybe small but she was ever so glad to be in the one bedroom and one bathroom space.  
Moving into the kitchen she grabbed the closest bottle of alcohol she could find and poured herself a glass before going into the lounge room and flopping her body lazily onto her old rickety couch.  
Suddenly there was a loud buzzing being produced from her pocket, wondering who it could possibly be she double checked the caller ID before answering.

"Hey Han." She mumbled.

"Where are you?" Hanna's voice chimed through the phone.

"At home, why?" Curiosity clear in her voice.

"You might want to turn on the TV... like right now." The blonde babbled.  
Emily rolled her eyes and reached for the remote that sitting on the coffee table in the middle of the room. Turning the television on she went to the channel Hanna had ordered.  
As the television screen went to life Emily watched the end of a weather report and drew her attention back to Hanna, thinking she was pulling some sort of joke.

"Hanna... you called me up to watch the weather?" Emily asked slightly frustrated.

"Keep watching." The blonde persisted.

" _Thank you Daniela for the weather report. Good afternoon Philadelphia, I'm Robert Skye and this is Channel Ten News. Top of the news is the welcome to famous actress and model Alison DiLaurentis! The young woman has moved to the small town of Rosewood and is already making the headlines."_

Emily looked from her phone to the television and rolled her eyes as the news report showed several photos of Alison in different movie posters and magazine photo shoots.  
She thought for a brief moment how attractive the blonde looked but forced her mind elsewhere, not wanting to trouble her thoughts any longer.

" _What all news reporters believe to be a new scandal is now something us at Channel Ten believes to be more! The stunning megastar was photographed out and about in the club scene and is now been photographed and filmed by an anonymous person in the back alleyways and abandoned industrial areas of Rosewood. It seems this Hollywood actress has some deep interests in the secretive scenes. She has been seen with the local accountant Emily Fields who works for one of Rosewoods finest lawyers 'Bill Campton' and they seemed to be a very cosy couple until today."_

"How do they even know where I work?" Emily questioned to no one in particular.

" _We have special footage revealing the couples minutes together! It seems they were in a heated debate before Miss Fields runs off and out of sight! Looks like there's trouble brewing in Alison DiLaurentis' love life but I'll let you see it for yourselves! We'll take you now to our local reporter Daniel Jackson who was lucky enough to find the copy of the video- "_

She muted the television and threw the remote across the room in anger as the video of her and Alison flashed onto the screen. The film was awful, shaky and blurry and it was obvious the photographer was hiding in a bush several metres away. Emily didn't know if their conversation could be heard but she didn't really care.

"Em?" Hanna called through the phone but before Emily could even muster the energy to force a conversation with the blonde she finished off the large glass of whiskey that had almost been forgotten from all the commotion. Moving into the kitchen she poured herself another glass and began drinking it.

"I'm fine." She lied.

"Please tell me you're not drinking." Hanna already knew that Emily was struggling with alcohol, ever since she was having relationship troubles with Paige the brunette was drinking herself blind just to forget about everything.

"It's just one glass."

"Emily-"

"I've got to go." Emily hung up her phone before Hanna could say another word and placed it in her pocket where she would soon forget about it.  
Taking the bottle with her this time she made her way down the hall and outside. She needed the fresh air, even if it was still pouring rain, it would be easy to avoid people in such weather because they were all inside keeping warm.  
No longer caring about using a glass she began taking large sips straight from the bottle.  
Walking down the road she flicked the hood of her already wet jumper over her head and made her way for the old path that lead to a small stream she used to spend most of her childhood playing in. She was just lucky Rosewood was such a small town and everything important was pretty much within walking distance.  
With every second, third, fourth step Emily would take a sip of the numbing liquid that would leave a thick layer of a warm sensation against the back of her throat.  
Less than ten minutes had passed and she had managed to find what she was looking for, however her footing was already beginning to wobble as she began the difficult task of walking in the forest in her drunken haze.

When she made it to the clearing where the stream sat full of life she found herself a large tree to sit under. Flopping her body down again she let herself rest up against the wet bark and pulled her knees to her chest.  
Within seconds tears began falling from her eyes as she felt her on body give into the alcohol that she had consumed rather quickly. The sucking feeling of her desperate need to control her cries failed as she held onto her legs tighter and rocked slightly back and forth.  
There was a hole burning in her stomach that she couldn't hold together no matter how hard she squeezed her legs.  
Giving up she let her dizzy head focus on the bottle that she had somehow managed to rest against the tree, it was almost empty.  
After letting the last of the strangely warm liquid invade her body Emily threw it to the side, however her body was weak and clumsy so it didn't travel any further than a metre or two.

The rain patted on the tree leaves above her, unknowingly protecting the broken girl that lay so helplessly below them. Her thoughts were not on the media, not on the television reports and not on the newspaper but on Alison.  
They were stuck on only Alison and her words that echoed torturously throughout her mind.  
She felt so angry that the blonde had said such things but was confused as to what actually brought them on; for she had not told Alison anything about Paige or her scholarship to Stanford. In fact very few people knew.  
Emily felt lost; even though she knew exactly where she was she had never felt so far away. Sitting there she let her body soak up the random cold drops of rain that fell occasionally from a leaf that couldn't hold its weight. And as if the numbness in her body had suddenly engulfed her, she felt her eyes slip into an uncontrollable sleep.

Emily's subconscious reboots as the alcohol loses its affect and the burning feeling of emptiness returns in the pit of her stomach.  
Moving slightly she realises she is lying down and she's not on the hard wet forest floor. Letting the tips of her fingers investigate where she could be she notices her head is resting on a large pillow and she's covered in a thick blanket.  
Hanna had probably found her and had managed to take her home and put her limp body into bed.  
Though her sheets felt different and the covers felt thicker and warmer.  
Forcing her hung over eyes to open she was greeted with almost complete darkness but she could still tell the room was unfamiliar, it wasn't her room and it wasn't Hanna's.  
She would have been slightly terrified if her head didn't hurt so much, her stomach was aching and she had a bitter dry taste dangling in the back of her mouth. She was definitely hung over but she had a lost all sense of time, it could be morning or night and with the shutters closed over the windows, there was no one to guess.  
Lifting her body with all the strength she muster she leant against the bed frame and instantly she could only guess where she was, though it was dark she could easily sense just by sitting on the bed how expensive it was.  
Rubbing her head as if it was clear the fog Emily wondered what to do but before she could think any further she heard the door knob turn and within seconds Alison was in the room. As the light from the hallway lit up Alison's figure she saw the blonde had a motorcycle helmet in her hand, she was dressed in tight protective clothes and yet her hair still look amazing?  
Making eye contact Alison flicked the closest lamp on and let its soft yellow light enter the space.  
She was silent and her expression was neutral, there was no way for Emily to tell what emotion the blonde was feeling.  
Walking across the room Alison placed the helmet on her large desk and took her wet jacket off, placing it elegantly on the chair to dry out she moved into her wardrobe and found some dry clothes to put on.

"Are you going to be sick?" Alison question when she exited her wardrobe.

"No." Emily replied shyly, although she felt like she might be if Alison continued to look so expressionless. Looking down at her sore body she realised she was dressed in different clothes, instead of her wet work clothes she was in comfortable grey slacks and a light white shirt. "How did I get in these clothes?"

"You need to drink." The blonde's head nodded towards the bed side table to a tall drink of water, avoiding Emily's question completely.

"Alison." The brunette demanded.

"I dressed you, now drink." Alison was short as she kept her distance as Emily did as she was told.  
She couldn't tell if she was still mad about the media issue or if she was mad because she and Mason had found the brunette in such a state.

"Why did you do that to yourself?" Alison gave in a sat at the end of the bed, watching Emily carefully.  
The brunette was stunned with silence, she had no answer.

"I... I don't know." Placing the glass back on the table she rubbed her head again, she wasn't really in any mood to argue with Alison.

"I need a better answer then that, Emily." She countered quickly and crossed her arms simultaneously.

"I don't think you really deserve any better." Emily said bravely.

"Is that so?

"You can't always get what you want."

"But I usually do, I find I can be very persuasive." Alison smiled softly at Emily's courage to stand against her, it wasn't something she was used to but it was something she definitely admired.

"Well then, that must be very boring for you."

"Not usually, when I'm with you however, everything seems to be different." Alison's soft voice was mesmerising to Emily, it was strangely calming but also off putting, she couldn't focus on what she was supposed to be feeling.

"You are so confusing."

"I hear it's hard to be mad at someone when they're genuinely smiling at you."

"I'm still mad at you." Alison's eyebrows rose quickly but before she could respond her phone began buzzing to life.

"Any news?" She spoke straight to the points when she saw it was Mason on the caller ID, not bothering to say hello to him.  
Emily waited patiently as she listened to the unknown victim stumbled for an explanation.

"Well it's your job to make sure this doesn't happen, Mason." She watched Alison's harsh words echo through the phone and she could hear Mason on the other end apologising, but his tone seemed pretty neutral which she found impressive.

"Do you know who it was? Who took the photos? Look never mind; come inside we have to discuss a few things." She hung up without another word and didn't wait for a response.

"Inside?"

"He's at the front gate at the moment, making sure no one follows me, not that he's very good at it apparently." She said, referring to the latest news report.

"It wasn't his fault." Emily whispered, feeling slightly responsible for Mason getting in trouble.

"It's his job, Emily."

"It doesn't mean you should get angry at him." Her voice was so quiet and innocent it was hard for Alison to be angered at her boldness, no one would ever talk to her like this but Emily seemed to quite successfully. She chuckled before stretching her hand out to the hung over brunette.

"Come, you need a shower." Emily swallowed deeply at Alison's words but took her hand regardless. "Relax; I've got business to attend to."

She sensed what the brunette was thinking and watched the emotion of disappointment flash across her face before relief joined in. Guiding Emily through the house she led her towards the bathroom, enjoying the fact that Emily was very taken aback by the elegance of the home.

"There are towels in the cupboard to your right. Take as long as you want, I will be downstairs if you need me." Alison turned to walk downstairs when Emily gently took her hand, stopping her and causing her to turn back around. It looked like the brunette was going to say something but then internally talked herself out of it.

"Go easy on Mason, everyone makes mistakes. He is human after all."

"I will keep that in mind." Alison replied, resisting the urge to smile at Emily's sweet nature before turning and heading back downstairs where she knew Mason was waiting for her to yell at him, but she suddenly didn't feel the need too. Her usual intolerance for mistakes had disappeared and she didn't feel as frustrated, what was Emily doing to her?

"Ma'am." Mason stood by the front door and was holding a relatively large envelope.

"Mason." She greeted him, a lot softer than he was expecting clearly. "Any news?"

"The person who took the photographs apparently sold them to Rosewood Daily. At first they wouldn't give me his name because of confidentiality reasons but he messed up."

"Messed up how?" She watched Mason carefully, he was a good man and she did feel bad for losing her temper so easily at him earlier but she focused on what was going on now.

"He got greedy and followed you to the industrial area. He took the video of you and Miss Fields to Channel Ten News and that's when I caught onto him."

"Who was it?"

"Some guy that worked in the bar you were in last night, when you decided to sneak out without my protection." Alison raised an eyebrow at Mason's bold statement but respected him regardless, he was right, if she hadn't gone out last night the media wouldn't be troubling her so much.  
She recalled the long stares the barkeeper had been giving her that night, the I'm-sure-I-know-you-from-somewhere stare that was bearing into the back of her head as Emily and her chatted.

"That's not your place, Mason."

"Forgive me, ma'am. Your wellbeing is my only concern that's all; it is my job to protect you, what if something bad had happened?"

"If something bad had happened it wouldn't be on you, besides I was safe."

"I think the whole point of me being by your side is that that's not your call to make. Miss DiLaurentis please, I urge you to be more careful in the future. We have had problems that have put you in risky situations-"

"That was because my previous guard was incompetent; I haven't had any troubles since you've been working with me."

"I'm not much use ma'am if I'm not there with you." Mason bowed his head respectfully, knowing that he was being very audacious. Alison sighed in defeat, though she was technically in charge of what Mason did she still, within reason, had to follow his rules if she wanted to be safe.

"I apologise Mason, it's been a rough day."

"I just don't want you to be put in danger; anyone could be a potential threat, anyone."His eyes averted upstairs knowing that somewhere Emily Fields was hiding, he knew she wouldn't want to meet him, the big scary body guard that spent most of his time protecting a girl that was young enough to be his daughter. People in this world were judgmental but he was good at his job and that's what mattered to him.

"She is no threat." Alison defended, following his train of thought.

"Just because her background checks clears out doesn't mean she's not a threat."

"She's not a threat." Alison stood her ground and watched Mason play with the envelope that had been peeking her curiosity for most of their conversation.

"I still want her to sign this." As he handed her the offending item Alison immediately realised what was inside.

"Not yet." She placed the envelope on the table near the front door and crossed her arms as she turned back to Mason.

"Ma'am it's for your security, if she's not a threat then a Non-Disclosure-Agreement will be nothing."

"Mason, I'm ordering you now to back off Emily; she is struggling enough with this. I don't want you scaring her-"

Before Alison could finish she felt Mason quickly move in front of her, automatically reacting to the small sound of footsteps coming from upstairs, he had even reached into his pocket for his gun.  
When both looked up they were greeted with the very surprising sight of Emily standing awkwardly at the top of the stairs.

"I'll be up in a minute, Emily." Alison's words had a hidden command that shook Emily to the core, she wasn't sure if the blonde was upset with her for interrupting or if she was merely trying to finish the conversation between her and Mason.

"A Non Disclosure agreement?" She ignored Alison's command and made her way down the stairs, noticing Mason's eyes had never once left her, watching her every move like a hawk about to steal its prey.

"It's just a legal document you sign saying you won't reveal anything that happens between you and Miss DiLaurentis."

"I know what it is, I had to sign one when I began working for Mr. Campton." Emily said with a matter of fact tone toward Mason, who was slightly taken aback by her abruptness.

Alison smiled at his reaction before drawing her own attention back to Emily who she couldn't take seriously when it was obvious she was so hung over.

"We will talk about this later, you need a shower." She nodded towards Mason who, without another word, left the house while Alison led Emily back upstairs and to the bathroom once more.

"I said _don't_ be too hard on him." Emily stopped before the door and turned to face the silent Alison.

"That was me being nice, now are you going to have a shower or do I have to undress you and throw you in the water myself?" Emily stood in the doorway, wanted to answer Alison's question with a serious yes but she felt that the blonde was merely exaggerating to make her point.  
Since Alison had apparently already undressed her, it didn't seem like it would be such a problem. Her thoughts were running rapid as she looked the beautiful blonde up and down and wanting to undress her as well.

"I only came out because I realised I didn't have any clothes to change into."

"Maybe that was my secret plan." Alison smirk devilishly as Emily blushed a bright red. "I'm kidding; I'll go find you something. In the mean time, shower." She pointed towards the bathroom before turning and heading down the hallway, the only thing Emily could seem to focus on was the way her hips swayed as she walked, how elegant she looked, how fluent she always seemed to be in any situation.  
Closing the door behind her she looked around the bathroom and went to the cupboard for a towel. It wasn't really a cupboard; it was more of an ensuite for just towels, Emily tried to figure out how many people could fit in the large space without feeling compressed before she finally focused her attention back to actually getting a towel.

Undressing, she opened the glass door to the shower and turned it on. Letting the warm water engulf her body, as her cold skin adjusted to the change in temperature she felt the pain in her head slowly subside, her hang over didn't feel as bad in the rushing water. It was as if the pressure of the liquid was helping the pain disappear.  
As she lathered her sore skin with soap Emily couldn't help but think about the conversation she had overheard between Alison and Mason.  
For him, everyone was a potential threat to Alison; anyone could want to expose her, to reveal all her secrets or to even hurt her. But that wasn't Emily. She didn't want to do that, she didn't really know what she wanted from knowing Alison but she knew she didn't want to use her.  
She couldn't even fathom why people were that dark in the first place. The guy at the bar must have been desperate if he took those photos and sold them.  
Her mind was full of scattered thoughts but nothing could come together for a collected feeling, in fact the only feeling she seemed to pinpoint was confusion.

"Emily?" She heard from behind the door causing her to jump from her inner monologue. "I'm not looking."  
The door opened before she could rebut, not that she really wanted to anyway. Mainly because the shower was so steamy the glass was covered with a nice fog that was difficult to see through. She turned to find Alison placing a pile of what she assumed would be clothes on a basket next to the bath.

"Alison?" Emily called; her eyes straight ahead again as she was too shy to look at Alison, even through the misty glass.

"Yes?" Alison stopped near the door and watched Emily try and think of what to say from all the thoughts that were buzzing around in her head.

"I'm... I'm not using you." She could hear the hurt in Emily's voice, as if someone was actually standing there accusing her of such a crime.

"I know." She moved further into the bathroom and watched Emily protectively, she could sense that whatever was going through the brunette's mind was troubling her and she wanted to stop the damage it was doing.  
Alison had seen Emily broken enough already, she and Mason had found Emily lying against that tree near the stream and she looked so broken, so tired and fragile, like a single movement and she would shatter into a million different pieces.  
Picking up the towel Emily had laid on the edge of the bath she un folded it and walked towards the shower, opening the door she open the towel so it was stopping all vision to Emily's naked body, though her thoughts were elsewhere about being respectful she watched the brunette turn the shower off and move into fluffy fabric.  
Feeling her hang over slowly evaporate Emily moved out of the shower and into Alison's out stretched arms, she enjoyed the warmth that the towel and Alison's hold provided. She felt for the first time in a long time completely safe, even though she was completely naked in front of probably the most beautiful person on the planet.

"I don't want you to do that to yourself anymore." Alison urgers, she can't help being so demanding but after finding Emily slumped over in the middle of the forest, she realised it wasn't something she wanted to see again.

"Alison-"

"Just try, if not for you, then for me." Alison was pleading, she could hear the desperation in her voice and it was obvious Emily was feeling conflicted. It was clear that drinking was a go to habit in times of trouble but Alison didn't want any of it, she wanted Emily safe and for the hours that she was missing and by that stream Alison had no clue where she was and that was terrifying.

"Please, Emily. Please tell me I won't find you in that state again."

They stood there for a long time while Emily nuzzled into Alison's neck, trying to force her mouth the move, to force words to come out but she was frozen. Frozen in the moment with the beautiful blonde.  
Standing there so exposed and feeling at complete ease made her think that surely it would be worth it, worth the try and she knew that if Alison was there holding her like this then she would succeed. But why was it so hard to speak, to say anything? She felt maybe she would be lying if she promised Alison she wouldn't.

"I will try." It was the only thing she could force from her lips.

"I'll be right here with you."

They stood there, enjoying the moment, enjoying the feeling of comfort and enjoying each other's touch. Emily felt Alison kiss the side of her head supportively causing her to smile and in that moment she knew, she would be able to try anything as long as Alison was there with her.

 **Hope you guys are enjoying so far :) I'm starting to like this story so I'm hoping you are too!  
Sorry about the late update, fanfic site was down and it wouldn't let me log in :(  
Thanks for all the great reviews so far! I always love reading them!  
Thanks guys xx**

 **-Aemstar**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

After ten minutes of standing almost completely bear in the bathroom Emily began to shiver in Alison's hold and as hard as she tried to suppress her shaking the blonde caught on quickly.

"You need to get dressed."

"I don't _need_ to." Emily found her lips gain a confidence she didn't know she had, they made their way from the base of Alison's shoulder to her neck and began laying small fiery kisses against the blonde's soft skin.  
Alison moved her neck to grant Emily access before letting her own hands move across the brunette's waist. Both could feel the atmosphere change as Emily's hands went to the small of her back, playing with the hem of Alison's loose shirt she felt her finger tips uncontrollably move beneath the fabric. Alison's skin was warm and soft like silk, tempting Emily to touch more as she felt her lips trail to Alison's.  
Moments later their lips were connected, fire and passion mixed together into one emotion as Emily pushed Alison to the closest wall.

" _Woah_... slow down killer..." Alison whispered; she couldn't help the mixture of moan in her voice as Emily's hands continued their hold on her body. "I'm not even supposed to be kissing you."

"What? Why not?" Emily felt mildly frustrated for being stopped again but was rather confused by Alison's statement.

"Get dressed, you being in a towel is very distracting. Meet me downstairs." Alison turned and left the room, trying to come off as though she wasn't overly bothered for having to stop but secretly she was going crazy.  
Her body was aching for more, for Emily to touch her, to hold her but she had to be responsible. Adjusting her hair and shirt she made her way downstairs and grabbed the large envelop that Mason had been almost throwing at her before.  
Moments passed and she still didn't know how she was going to tackle this conversation; she thought she would be used to it by this point. But the only thing she seemed used to was how people reacted when she asked them to sign it, how offended they were like she was asking them to sign their soul away.

"Are these new?" Alison turned to see Emily making her way down the stairs. The clothes she was wear complimented every part of her body and it would be hard for her to lie to someone as beautiful as Emily.

"Perhaps." She chuckled.

"These are designer clothes." Emily's voice was laced with shock as she made her way to Alison.

"Are they? Mason got them. He has great taste doesn't he?" It wasn't really a question; it was more an avoidance of Emily's statement.

"I'll give you the money back for it."

"That won't be necessary, Emily." Alison's face remained fairly neutral until Emily raised an eyebrow disapprovingly. Trying to avoid the chocolate brown eyes she moved across the room and took in her surrounds, she may have been living there for a couple of weeks but she was still not used to it. She felt uncomfortable, like it was a new friend's house that you were sleeping over for the first time.  
Everything in Alison's life seemed to feel new the moment she moved to Rosewood, the people were different, the weather was definitely different.  
She was uncomfortable in these new surroundings but with Emily she seemed to feel at ease and it was nice to be away from all that drama.

"I'll sign it." Emily broke the silence and looked towards Alison's hands that were playing mindlessly with the envelope.

"I want you to think about it."

"I've thought about it." The brunette insisted.

"Emily-"

"Alison, if I sign it, I can be with you. If I don't sign it, I can't be with you. It's simple. If the only thing stopping me from having you in my arms is a piece of paper then I will sign it a million times over."

Emily reached for Alison's hands and took the envelope.  
Alison watched her carefully; she was not used to such a response. Seconds later their lips connected, she had many thoughts racing through her mind but none she could vocalise, so instead she did the only thing that felt right.  
Emily's hands quickly snaked around Alison's waist and pulled her closer, their lips entangled in each other as each fought for dominance.  
Emily could feel the anticipation behind her lips that she had felt the first night they kissed but this time there was no phone buzzing to interrupt the moment, she felt Alison's hands holding her cheeks and slowly move her thumb against her skin, the skin that lay just below her bruised eye. It felt nice; it was something Emily hadn't really experience in a very long time, if at all.

"Did Paige do this to you?" Alison's hands continued to gently massage the surface of the bruise, distracting Emily.

"How do you know her name?" Emily broke away from her trance and watched Alison process the question.

"I had Mason do a background check on you." She answered honestly. Emily probably would have been offended if she wasn't so confused. "You didn't answer my question, Emily. Did Paige do this to you?"

"It was my fault, it's stupid." Emily mused as she moved out of Alison's touch and felt the side of her eye.

" _What_?" Alison felt so stunned by Emily's words she wasn't even sure if she had heard them correctly.

"It's a long story, Alison."

"Make it short." The blonde demanded; her tone soft and comforting but her facial expression fierce and dominating.

"I just... I upset her. I should have just done what she had wanted." Emily shied away from Alison's bright blue eyes and moved the wet hair that was falling across her face.  
Alison's eyes soften at Emily's words, the brunette was having an internal struggle with her break up with Paige and it angered Alison the she was blaming herself.  
Gently taking her hand Alison guided Emily to the lounge room, finding anywhere she could sit down and be face to face in a comfortable manner.  
Choosing the large sofa that took up an entire wall Alison sat the brunette down and knelt in front of her, holding her cheeks gently.

"No matter how much you upset someone, it is _never_ okay for them to hit you. Ever."

"Alison-"

"I'm serious, it is never okay." Gently she pulled the brunette close to her, and before completely closing the distance between their lips she looked Emily directly in her chocolate eyes.

"I promise... I won't hurt you, Emily."

Leaning in their lips connected to a mist of pure emotion; it was something neither had felt before. The explosion of fireworks in the pit of their stomachs fought the feeling of confusion, Emily was sitting in what she assumed to be Alison's new home, she was sitting in a room where a large television required most of its space excluding the furniture.  
The home was full of uncontaminated expense and the only thing Emily could even remotely focus on was Alison's lips and hands.  
Within seconds Alison felt herself lose all control, her mind was filled with Emily's sweet words and her dark reveal. How could the brunette think it was her fault that Paige had hit her? How could she have been manipulated to that point? Alison didn't know, all she knew is she wanted to take away the pain and sorrows.  
While her head was taking in such details she couldn't help but think how willingly Emily was to sign the Non Disclosure Agreement, how the brunette was so willingly to ignore everything else and sign it without thinking fully, just to be able to hold her again.  
Alison was so mesmerised by Emily and her words that they were drawing her closer, drawing her lips and her body towards the brunette.  
They were intoxicating.  
Emily was intoxicating.

Emily opened her eyes slightly as she felt the blonde's soft hands roam up her thighs against her new jeans, though usually she would have lingered more on the fact that she in such expensive clothing the blonde didn't seem to mind as she herself moved closer to Emily, straddling her.  
Closing her eyes again, Emily felt the passion Alison was producing as she placed her legs either side of her. The blonde was dressed in black skinny jeans, her shirt was grey and loss but was covered by a complimenting cardigan, and she looked incredibly sexy.  
Alison felt Emily's hands move to the sleeves of her cardigan, pushing it over her shoulders and down her arms before throwing it to the floor in a heated fervour.

"Alison..." She heard Emily moan as her lips moved quickly for her neck but quickly the brunette's words trailed away as Alison bit down gently on her pulse point.  
Giving into her urgers her hands moved up under the blonde's loss shirt and began playing with the skin on her waist.

Alison felt her head move back into a soft moan as the motion of Emily taking control swept over her; it granted access for the brunette to leave kisses on the exposed skin of her chest before her hands moved to the next item of clothing.  
Seconds later Alison's grey shirt was on the ground and the blonde was straddling the breathless Emily shirtless.  
Emily couldn't help but stop to look.  
Alison looked stunning, her breast sat perfectly in her bra while she admired ever inch of her and as her eyes roamed freely across her Alison smiled, she had never seen someone look at her this way before.  
It was different, there was lust glistening in the depths of Emily's eyes but there was something else, something that seemed foreign to her that she couldn't pin point it.  
It was passion and kindness, Emily looked over Alison's body with a caring nature.  
Her eyes waltzed delicately over her as if she undressing the blonde with them.

"God, you're beautiful." Emily muttered. She couldn't help the words leave her lips but she didn't regret them.

"You're not too bad yourself." Alison whispered seductively before leaning in for a kiss.  
Emily smiled as she felt Alison's teeth trap her bottom lip in a small bite; it caused a spark to fly up her spine, igniting a flame within her.  
Her hands moved quickly to Alison's back and began unclipping the strap, she watched the blonde for any signs that she was crossing a line but none showed. In fact Alison seemed to be anticipating the action as much as she was, swallowing deeply she readied herself to remove the item. Nerves rattled against her rib cage as worry spread through her, she felt she was rushing but she couldn't help it. Everything was pulling her towards Alison and with each kiss eagerness grew, their breath was short but neither seemed to care.  
Before Emily reached to pull the shoulder straps down Alison's arms there was a sharp knock at the door, causing both of them to jump. Seconds later the door knob turned and, without an invitation, a tall thin but muscular man walked in. He wasn't familiar to Emily but as he turned his head to find the pair on the lounge his eyebrows raised in surprise all rational thinking was long go.  
Alison sighed in frustration as her hands moved behind her back to do up her bra, getting off the flustered Emily she grabbed her shirt from the ground and straightened herself up.

"What was the point of knocking if you're going to walk straight in, Derek?" Alison made her way to the stranger known as Derek, he didn't seem at all bothered to the fact that he had just walked in on the pair.

"You should have this locked Alison." Derek muttered as he looked between Alison and Emily. The brunette was blushing a bright red but Alison was well collected, as usual.

"Mason is outside somewhere."

"That doesn't matter, he is _one_ body guard." Derek was no older than forty; his pitch black hair that matched his expensive looking suit was lazily combed to one side.  
He had a plain black folder in one hand adding to the smart and professional look, it was very daunting.

"Who hasn't failed me, the one you hired was ridiculous."

"I wouldn't say he didn't fail." Derek mumbled as he turned his head to Emily, directing his comment at her.

"You are out of line." Alison almost yelled towards him, though he may have been significantly taller than the blonde, Emily found that even Derek was slightly afraid of her.

"This is serious."

"You always said bad publicity is still publicity." Alison walked over to Emily and without a second thought took her hand, she watched as Derek's eye twitched subconsciously.

"As your manager I don't agree with this."

"Why? Because Emily's a girl?"

"No, this isn't the nineteen hundreds. It's the way it was introduced to the media." He made his way into the living room and sat on an available seat across from the pair.

"The media will get over it." Alison spoke with a tone that challenged Derek to continue but he knew it was as argument he wasn't going to win. Not with Alison. So he put his hand on his head in defeat and changed the subject.

"You have your interview with Philadelphia News Feed for that crummy television station in two hours, remember? I only came to make sure you were getting ready."

Emily looked out the window and realised it was bright outside. She decided that she must have slept through the whole night but she still couldn't figure out what time it was.

"What time is it?" Emily whispered to Alison, her eyes never leaving their combined hands, though she knew Derek was staring directly at her.

"Almost ten." He replied before Alison could even look down at her watch.

"Thanks." Emily said shyly.

"I'll get Mason to drive you home; I must get ready for this interview." Alison filled the awkward atmosphere with her words as she stood and pulled Emily with her, giving Derek an evil glare as she went.  
Pulling her phone out, Alison quickly dialled a few numbers and told Mason to come back inside.

"I suggest staying down low for a couple of days; I can't protect you if you're out and about." Alison said, her voice strangely soothing.

"I can't camp out in my apartment forever." Emily watched Alison as a loud echo of Derek clearing his throat voiced from the living room.  
Alison sighed at his immaturity before pulling Emily out the front door and out of ear shot. Derek was always known for making himself the centre of attention.

"Just until I'm back, that way you will have protection from Mason." Alison wasn't compromising with Emily. She wasn't asking her to stay she was telling her to and Emily could sense this.

"Okay, fine. I don't really want to do anything anyways." Emily adjusted her new blouse that sat comfortably around her chest and waist, it was a nice fit and it surprisingly made her feel very attractive, something she hadn't felt in a long time.  
There was a moment of silence, it wasn't awkward, it set a somewhat peaceful and romantic vibe that both enjoy.  
Emily smiled softly before leaning into kiss Alison but just before their lips connected a small cough came from the bottom of the stairs that led up to the front door.

"Ma'am," Mason interrupted awkwardly. "What can I help you with?"

"Take Miss Fields home, I'll be ready to leave for Philadelphia when you get back." Alison ordered him.

"Yes Ma'am."He nodded towards Alison and waited for further orders but the blonde was only really focused on Emily's touch that lingered on her hand.

"Get the car." She said frustrated, trying to get some alone time with Emily before they would part.

"Which one?"

"Whichever is the most inconspicuous." She commanded before once again turning her attention to Emily. Mason nodded and disappeared but Emily didn't focus on which direction because seconds later Alison's lips were on her own in a gentle but passionate kiss.

"I'll be back tonight, stay out of trouble, okay?" Moments later a flash black AUDI buzzed around from behind the house and pulled up at the bottom of the stairs in the dirt drive way that circled the property before exiting it.

"That's your most inconspicuous car?" Emily swallowed deeply as Mason got out of the driver side and walked around the open the back door for her.  
Alison smiled devilishly before walking her to the car and helping her in.

"Don't drink any alcohol." Alison's protective side showed through once more as she shut the door and leaned against it into the open window. Mason sat back in the front and roared the over two hundred horse power vehicle back to life and let it hum harmlessly in the background.

"So bossy." Emily joked to hide the fact that the thought of alcohol was sitting in the back of her mind and Alison could see right through it. Letting her hand gracefully move a stray piece of hair that had fallen across Emily's face, Alison closed as much distance as she could between them and looked directly into the shy brown orbs that glistened back up at her.

"Please, Emily." Alison whispered

Mason turned his head slightly at the sound of pleading in Alison's voice, it wasn't something he was used to, at all, but he quickly faced forward again when he realised he was eavesdropping.

"I won't." Emily promised, giving Alison a reason to smile before she would have to let her go.

"Thank you." She whispered before leaning in for a chaste kiss. "Seat belt."

The drive home was silent, neither Mason nor Emily spoke. Which led Emily's thoughts to how the mysterious man knew where she lived but she still remained quiet.  
When he pulled the car up she couldn't undo her seat belt quick enough but somehow Mason still beat her to opening the door.

"Thanks for the lift, sir." Emily almost whispered as she pulled her body out from the low car. Mason was mildly surprised at the brunette's politeness as he closed the door behind her.

"My pleasure." He forced, he was still unsure of Emily and he didn't know how to act around her either. As she turned he followed her up the path way, causing her to look around curiously.

"I can manage from here, Alison problem needs you."

"I have to walk you up, Ma'am." He was just following his orders which Emily could understand.

The walk up the stairs was more awkward than the drive, the faint echo of the steps filling the empty stairwell hummed between them.  
Emily sensed that Mason had something to say to her but he was biting his lip.  
When they made it to the door she went to dig for her keys in her pocket until she realised they were empty and she didn't have her phone either.  
Mason flicked his head up quickly as if he realised something and reached into his blazer pocket.

"Here." He handed Emily her keys and a unfamiliar object, thinking it was her phone she took it and went to place it in her pocket when she realised it was heavier than usual.

"Thanks-" She paused and lifted the phone to her eye level; at inspection she realised immediately that it was one of the brand new iPhones. Her mouth uncontrollably gaped to the floor in shock before she looked back to Mason. "What happened to my old phone?"

"Miss DiLaurentis organised a new phone for you, she said that your old one was in pieces."

"It still worked." Emily muttered to herself more then to Mason, he chuckled softly before he adjusted his suit.

"It's still the same number, just a slightly upgraded phone."

"Slightly?" Emily asked rhetorically as she finally managed to look away from the phone to the amused body guard.  
Her previous phone was that old it was a flip style but she liked it that way, the buttons clicked when she used it and the screen was starting to fade it was that aged. Looking at the new technology before her she wondered briefly if she would even understand how to use it.  
Clearing her throat she placed the phone back in her pocket and put her keys in the door.

"Thanks for walking me up."

"Not a problem, Miss Fields."

"Please, it's just Emily." The brunette insisted and she watched Mason assessed her offer. It was definitely something he wasn't used to but he nodded kindly and turned back down the hallway and out of sight.  
Emily shut the door and locked it with both safety hatches. Rubbing her head she threw her keys onto the small writing desk next to the doorway.  
Her apartment seemed small after spending so much time in Alison's home.  
In comparison, most of her apartment would fit in Alison's living room.  
But then again everything Alison had was big and extravagant, the house, the cars and the technology, it was all things that Emily didn't really have the luxury to experience.  
She pulled her new phone out and sighed, she saw the new message icon and slide the sensitive screen to the side to view it.

 _Enjoy the phone Killer.  
Our activities from before will be continued... that's my promise.  
Ali xx_

Emily smiled at the thought of their activities earlier; her heart skipped a beat at the thought of Alison's skin against her own but she quickly shook them away in order to keep collected. Rereading the message she realised Alison signed it with "Ali", was that an invitation to address her so or was it a mere automatic reflect? Emily was stumped, so she looked at Alison's contact name but was only confronted with "Alison DiLaurentis", confusing her further. Deciding to take a risk she sat herself down on her lounge and began replying.

 _The phone really wasn't necessary Ali._

It was all she sent.  
It was all she had the courage to send.  
She sat there and played with the fabric of her jeans as she waited for a reply. They felt soft and yet firm, tight and yet comfortable.  
They also felt extremely expensive.  
A solid vibrate from her phone distracted her from her lingering thoughts, another message from Alison giving her mind enough of a diversion momentarily.

 _That was your first ever text message to me, and I get, the phone wasn't necessary?  
A simple thank you would have sufficed, don't you think? :P_

Emily could hear Alison's playful tone from where she stood; she could imagine the blonde, in her own house, holding onto her phone smiling foolishly like herself.

 _Thank you... but it still isn't necessary_

Minutes passed and Emily found herself getting distracted with the different applications on the phone, there were too many to count and she figured she would probably use none of them, but she gave credit to the company for trying.  
Another message vibrated through her phone.

 _Oh it was necessary; I can't even classify that stone-age rock a phone. Seriously, how old was that thing? Look never mind, this phone is yours. No expectations and no givezy-backzey's.  
I'm heading to Philledelphia now, so I'd better go.  
Remember what you promised me, Emily._

 _Givezy-backzey's? Are you six years old?  
Okay have fun with your interview_

 _Hmm, a little older than that.  
I will.  
Oh, and p.s. I'm being interviewed live on Channel Ten at 12pm_

Emily read the message carefully, live? Well that would be interesting but there was still an hour and a half to kill and with no leaving the house she felt she had nothing to pass the time.  
Standing from the lounge she made her way into her bedroom and decided to clean to preoccupy her mind.  
The pile of her dirty soccer clothes still lay in her wardrobe floor from training, reminding her that she had a game the next day.  
She thought briefly of messaging the coach and telling him she wasn't going but decided against it, the physical exercise would be good.  
Collecting a few other stray clothes that lay around the apartment she threw her clothes into the washing machine in the bathroom.  
Just as she shut the lid and watched the machine buzz lazily to life she felt her phone vibrate violently in her pocket.

"Hey Han." Emily chimed happily as she looked at the caller ID before sliding the screen in the accept direction.

"Don't you ' _Hey Han_ ' me, I've been worried sick!" The blonde blurted through the phone at a rather loud volume.

"I'm okay, I just got home." Emily couldn't help smiling, she did feel bad that Hanna was worried but the way the blonde almost yelled at her was humorous.

"Oh, well that's okay then, _are you kidding me Emily_?! Where did you get home from? I thought you were lying in a gutter somewhere drunk or worse. I went straight to your place after work and you weren't there. Don't ever do that to me again! _God_!"

Hanna babbled loudly into the phone and took a deep breath at the end.

"I'm sorry, Hanna." Emily said sincerely.

"I didn't call up to abuse you Em; the girls and I just can't help but worry about what's going on through your head."

"I'm okay; I'm trying to be better."

"We know, look Samara is bombarding me with messages about your soccer game tomorrow because you're not answering, are you going to reply to her or leave her to suffer?"

"I'll reply to her, I've just been a little preoccupied." Emily made her way into the kitchen and began the slow process of making a coffee with one hand.

"I gathered, with what exactly?" Emily could almost see Hanna's eyebrow rise from the other line she could hear the curiosity in the blonde's voice that clearly.

"I... I don't think I can say." She stuttered at the thought of the Non Disclosure Agreement, she had never signed it, so technically speaking she could say what she wanted, but she didn't want to do that to Alison.

"Well that's not fair."

"I know, I'm sorry. Look I was with Alison, that's all I can say. Let me sort this out and I'll figure out what more I can do." Emily felt stuck between a rock and a hard place, there was so much she wanted to tell Hanna but she knew she couldn't. She hated keeping secrets.

"Alright, I can deal with that. Don't forget it's Spencer's last day here tomorrow, she's got to go back to college on Monday remember? And Aria's got to go back to Phillie for her art gallery."

"I didn't forget." Emily remembered back to the last weekend, Spencer had a week off college for some reason but she didn't tell them why, so they just figured it was to see her parents and Toby.  
It was difficult to see Aria most of the time even though she was only a couple of hours away, she was always busy running her art gallery with Ezra that trips back home seemed near impossible. Luckily she had organised to come back when Spencer did so the four could catch up but both Emily and Hanna had a gut feeling it wouldn't happen again for a while.  
Unfortunately the week had passed quickly and Spencer was heading back to college while Aria was going back to Philadelphia.

"They want to watch your soccer game tomorrow. Even Caleb and Toby are keen." Hanna could feel her lips slowly loosen into a smile as her anger for her friend lessened.  
They spoke on the phone for over an hour, keeping Emily's mind at bay while she waited by the television. It was nice to talk to Hanna, the blonde felt like the most normal thing in Emily's life at the moment.

Alison was standing back stage with a bottle of water in her hand, waiting patiently to be called on for the next interview.  
She was beyond feeling nervous anymore, even with live broadcasts it felt like a walk in the park.  
She wasn't looking forward to today however. It wasn't that she couldn't handle interviews; it was more she already knew what the questions were going to be and she wasn't particularly happy to accept that yet.  
Mason was standing by her side with his arms in the usual crossed behind his back position, looking around the studio for potential threats, to someone from the outsets it might seem a bit excessive but to Alison it was absolutely necessary.  
Handing her water to Mason she smiled at him before walking closer to the stage, getting ready to walk on.

"Now ladies and gentleman, the girl we've all been waiting for, Alison DiLaurentis!"

The woman was young, no older than her early thirties but Alison suspected she was mid twenties. Her hair was bleached blonde and her clothing was designer, her makeup was slightly over the top from up close but that was just so the live audience and cameras could see it clearly.  
The audience clapped and cheered loudly as Alison walked on stage, a few whistles were blown and even a few people called out "I love you, Alison".  
Turning to the crowd she flashed a quick wink and blew a kiss to one of the younger boys that had called out the words. It drove the crowd wild, causing her to pull a smile she wasn't sure why she was faking.  
The woman interviewer, Christina she thought her name was, stood from the cream chair that sat alongside another with a table in front that held glasses of water, holding Alison's hands she kissed the blonde on the cheek and offered her a seat.  
She hushed the crowd and shook her hands in front of Alison.

"Don't we love this girl?" Christina questioned, getting another positive response from the hyped audience. Alison smiled at their enthusiasm and crossed her legs swiftly. She looked from Christina towards the cameras; there were four of them all up spread across the front of the stage, so seeing the audience was a struggle.

"So, Alison, tell us. How are you enjoying your new life in the small town Rosewood?" Alison smiled before thinking about the question. She wanted to say it was very _interesting_ but instead she did the usual.

"Oh you know, it's so different to Hollywood but it's nice. Very cold though."

"Yes, of course. Are you enjoying the set for your new movie?"

"Very much, all the crew is amazing; it's a privilege to work with such creative people." Alison watched as Christina ran through the questions she felt she had to ask but she knew the woman was dancing around the real questions, making fake small talk so she could eventually ask about all the scandals and rumours.  
She asked a few more questions about the movie and how shooting was going before she made a quick turn.

"So, is there someone special in your life?" It was a bold question that Christina wanted Alison to stumble at but she didn't fault, she merely smiled and turned her head to the audience.

"There are many special people in my life." She gave them a wink as they all cheered again, enjoying the fact that they were being acknowledged.  
Alison didn't want Christina to ask about Emily, she had told Derek that no questions were to be asked in the first place but she knew it was going to happen.

"Of course you'll always have your fans, but what about all the rumours and scandals, with you and Emily Fields?" The crowd went silent as they all waited for Alison's answer.  
Her head was having an inner battle on how to answer the question, it felt like years had passed when she finally thought of something but she was really only seconds.

"It's not a scandal, nor is it a rumour. Obviously with all the photos." The crowd let out a loud high pitched " _oooooo_ " as a photo of the night her and Emily kissed in the alleyway popped up on the television behind her and Christina.

"So does that mean Hollywood's finest and most famous has been snatched up?"

"Hmm, I guess that's for me to know and you guys to find out." Alison said cheekily, hiding the "leave Emily out of this" snarky attitude as best she could, she was already finished talking about her and Emily, she hadn't even had the chance to talk about them with each other yet.  
Christina and her spoke more of life in Rosewood and the movie set before their half an hour had finally finished.  
Alison was so ready to go home. She was done with questions.

Emily watched the television mildly shocked. How had Alison remained so calm and collected like that? She would have crumbled into a million pieces if that was her.  
However she was becoming somewhat used to the photos of her and the blonde being flashed all over the media.  
It was almost one o'clock and she still hadn't heard from Alison, she was too afraid to message her first and there was no way she was calling her.  
Trying to distract her mind she went and unloaded her washing machine and went to hang them up on her mini indoor clothesline and was about half way through when there was a sharp knock at the door.  
Looking at the clock on the wall only another half an hour had passed, there was no way Alison was back from Philadelphia yet.  
Curiously walking to the door she unlocked it and opened it without thinking to check who it may be.

"Well hello Emily." The voice was harsh and angry, causing cold shivers to shake down Emily's spine.

"Paige..."

 **Hey guys, I hope this chapter was okay. I haven't really been with it lately, there's a lot of drama at home and work and it's been hard to juggle. Be patient, I am making time and I promise it'll be worth the wait.  
Thanks for the lovely reviews as always, makes me feel really good.  
-Aemstar**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Paige..." She taller brunette was standing between the doorframe and Emily, giving her no chance of being pushed out.  
She smiled tauntingly, knowing that it made Emily crumble under its pressure.

"I see you've got yourself some taste in fashion, _suddenly_." Paige looked Emily up and down, observing the new clothes that showed off Emily's body.

"What are you doing here?" Emily tried shutting the door but knew it was hopeless as Paige shoved her foot between it and forcibly pushed herself into the apartment.

"Seeing if you are ready to take me back yet." She chuckled before turning to face Emily who had remained her position close to the door.

"Don't you think if I was, I'd be at your apartment right now?" She responded quickly, her confidence shinning through with her witty and smart comment, and it's something Paige wasn't expecting.

"Funny." Paige said rhetorically before spinning back and walking around the apartment as if it were her own.  
Emily watched her carefully, watching her every moment as if the next one could be dangerous. Knowing full well Paige was there to yell at her Emily shut the door and rubbed her head, waiting for the storm to happen.

"Paige, I think you should leave." Emily walked away from the door and closer to the brunette, her eyes trying to keep as little contact with Paige's as possible.

"Not until you realise how much you've missed me."

"I've moved on." She said confidently, which displeased Paige.

"I see," Paige looked down where the article from Friday that Emily had originally been thrown in the bin had made its way to the lounge in a scrunched up state. "With Alison DiLaurentis?"  
She asked the question as if the notion was the most absurd thing she'd ever heard in her entire life.

"What does it matter to you?" Emily replied stand-offish.

"Oh it doesn't matter to me, but it matter's to the entire planet apparently." Paige said as she picked up the newspaper and looked at the photos and articles.

"That shouldn't be in there." Emily looked at the photos and hated the person who took them, it was something so magical and so secret and yet everyone had seen it.

"It's a shame; remember when you used to kiss me like that?" She mocked as she scrunched the paper into a ball and drop kicked it towards Emily, ridiculing her feelings with the action.  
Emily looked down at the paper, the faint image of her and Alison was still visible causing her to smile. It was still a perfect night. No matter how much anyone tried to ruin it, they would still have their conversations and their own secrets.

"I do remember," She finally spoke and looked back up at Paige, whose eyes were filled with curiosity. "But you ruined it."

Paige moved closer to her in a threatening manner, which in the past would have caused Emily to wither and back down, but instead she remained strong and continued.

"Once upon a time, we did have something special. But you ruined it. I don't know much about relationships Paige, but I know I deserve better than this," She motioned between the two of them, "And I deserve better than you."

Paige seemed stumped by Emily's confidence and the way she was handling the situation but as soon as the words sunk in the taller brunette felt herself lose control.  
Quickly launching herself at Emily she pushed her into the wall and held her forearm against her throat. Emily struggled in the hold and tried pushing away but without wanting to hurt Paige it would be impossible.  
The hold against her throat was constricting, it caused panic to fly through her veins and seise the courage to grab Paige's arms and push her away. Desperately trying to catch her breath Emily held her throat protectively with her hand but Paige was too quick and within seconds was holding her tight against the wall again.

"You don't deserve anything good, Emily." Paige whispered evilly in her ear. "But as a favour to you because I'm so generous, I'm willingly to give you something."

Paige's lips made their way harshly from Emily's ear to her chin, slowly laying kisses against her jaw line as she went. It felt so wrong, as if each kiss was burning her skin painfully, marking it and maiming it like it was never going to be touched again. It made Emily feel sick.

"Stop, Paige." She tried but Paige merely tightened her hold against her neck and continued her destructive path. Moments later she was inches away from Emily's lips, lingering there as if teasing the terrified the brunette to remember who was in charge. This was exactly what she always did in the past except never this violently.

Seconds passed and Emily waited for Paige to close the distance between them, she hated that the brunette was being slow. She just wanted it to be done with. For Paige to be gone so she could forget all about it.  
Suddenly the front door flew open in a loud bang and within seconds Paige was grabbed and pulled away. Emily collapsed to the ground from exhaustion and began gasping for air as she looked up to find who had saved her. Mason was holding tightly onto Paige's arm, standing there like a statue as if waiting for further orders.  
Emily quickly felt arms snake protectively around her body and pull her head against the person's warm chest. Knowing instantly it was Alison she felt her body relax.  
Paige was struggling against Mason's hold but even she knew it was useless, he was probably twice her size. Giving up she looked at Alison and also waited.

"Are you going to ask your guard dog to loosen his hold or am I going to sue you because I'll lose my arm?" Paige's voice was harsh and dominating and Alison could immediately understand why Emily was so afraid of her, however she wasn't afraid. Paige was weak in every sense of the word.  
Nodding her head towards Mason she watched as Paige aggressively shrugged out of his hold.

"Don't even have the guts to push me off you yourself, huh Em?" Paige spat towards the brunette who was shaking in Alison's hold.  
Emily was still holding her throat protectively as Mason went to stand between Paige and her. Alison looked down at her and gave her a look she couldn't pinpoint, Alison sort of looked mad but at the same tired, scared and happy, Emily was confused but she couldn't really speak either.

"Can you stand?" She whispered and Emily nodded. Clearing her throat Emily stood in sync with Alison as the blonde's arms helped raise her from the cold hard floor.

"I think it's time you leave Miss McCullers." Alison said calmly as she stood in front of Emily, still however holding her hand.

"Well good for you, I'm not finished talking to Emily." Paige straightened herself up before finally looking away from Mason and towards Alison.

"Yes, you are." Alison may have been significantly smaller than Paige but she was definitely more terrifying. Her voice was low and hoarse, filled with anger and yet concealed with a neutral tone; Emily found it to be a lethal combination.

"Fine, enjoy my sloppy seconds. She wasn't a good fuck anyway." Paige watched Emily as she spoke; burning her gaze deep into the brunette as she felt the words pierce harshly in her ears.

"She's no sloppy seconds, you never had her emotionally. You might have had her physically but let me tell you something Miss McCullers; you've never had Emily in the four years you were together in the way I've had her the last three days. I hope you can live with that."

"I can live with that, it wasn't exactly the most exciting sex anyways. She couldn't even get off, not once." Paige's words were so bitter and dark that Alison could feel Emily whimper beneath them. The brunette even looked towards Mason in embarrassment but he showed no signs of interest in the actual topic.

"That's fault on your behalf, not hers."

Alison closed the distance between her and Paige; she watched Mason squirm uncomfortably at the how close they were but she was ready for anything Paige might throw her way. She looked the taller girl directly in the eye, challenging her to make another comment, to make another move but she didn't, Paige merely looked between the three of them before giving Emily a smirk and leaving the apartment.

"Make sure she's gone." Alison ordered Mason, moments later he had disappeared and it was just her and Emily.

"Are you okay?" Alison turned to Emily who was forcing to keep the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes at bay. She sniffed while rubbing her eyes and in that moment Alison could see four years of anger, sadness and pain flash across Emily's face.

"I'm fine." She whispered as she looked to the kitchen where her bottles of alcohol sat lifelessly, tempting her to drink away her misery, Alison followed her gaze and sighed.

"Why did you let her in? That door has two safety locks." She asked unimpressed.

"It was an accident; I'm not used to checking who's at the door." Emily crossed her arms over her chest in a protective manner, not really feeling interested in being yelled at by Alison as well.

"You're not staying here." It wasn't a question, nor was it a compromise. Grabbing Emily's hand she pulled her towards the door until she was stopped.

"My stuff."

"Mason will get it."

And before Emily could rebut further Alison pulled her out the door and down the hallway.

"Alison, I have soccer tomorrow." Emily said as Alison placed the hood of her black jumper over her head and walked down the four flights of stairs and heading for the back door of the apartment building.  
It was the first time Emily actually noticed what the blonde was wearing, it was different clothes to what she wore in the interview two hours ago, and she was supposed to be in Philadelphia, how could she had been that fast?

"You're not going." Alison opened the door to her black AUDI and almost pushed Emily in. She was edgy and unsettled in such unfamiliar environments.

"That's not fair on my team; we're already struggling for players." Emily was trying to reason with the blonde but when she was this mad it seemed near impossible.

"Emily, I just spent half the car ride here worrying about you, I'm not about to let you go and run around in broad day light." Alison's nerves were on end ever since Emily didn't answer the phone calls she left, the last half an hour of the ride home she was racing at crazy amounts of speeds, and even though she knew it was dangerous she didn't care. She had a gut feeling something was wrong and she was right.

"I need to play." Emily whispered from the passenger seat as she roared the car to life.  
They sat in silence for a long time as Alison sped through town and headed towards the outskirts of Rosewood, making a turn onto the highway.  
The clouds hung over the dead road threatening to release rain but they never did.  
Alison drove fast, way too fast. The car buzzed quickly down the empty road as she tested its limits.

"Ali, slow down." Emily almost whimpered next to her.

Like a switch Alison put the car in a smaller gear and slowed, but only to quickly turn onto the road that led to the lake.

"Where are we going?"

"My house." Her response was short and angry.

Emily didn't remember Alison's house being on the road to the lake but when Mason had taken her home her eyes had never once left her lap, so really she had no clue where the blonde actually lived.  
As the quiet driver finally slowed the car, not because she needed to really, but more because she didn't want Emily uncomfortable, no matter how mad she was.

Looking out the window Emily realised how far away Alison actually lived from town. It seemed she was trying to be as far away as she possibly could be without actually leaving. Turning onto a tight dirt road that merged off the main road to the lake, Alison decreased speed and subtly looked over at Emily.  
The brunette's head was facing out the window, taking in the surroundings she had never seen before. Emily knew that the road was there, in fact everyone did but they all assumed it was a dead end.  
Sensing the blonde was watching her Emily turned but Alison averted her eyes seconds before.  
Keeping her eyes on the road Alison pressed a button next to her steering wheel, looking around curiously Emily wondered what the button actually did but when the car finally slowed to an almost stop Alison pulled into the large property that was barricaded with large black fences.  
She assumed the button had opened the gate that shut when the car was completely in the property.  
Alison drove down a small gravel path that leaded to her large white house. It was extravagant; it looked not only modern but completely brand new. There were trees everywhere and judging by the amount of security around the house it seemed that Alison did like her privacy, which Emily found slightly ironic but she also understood it.

"This is your house?" Emily mumbled.

"Yes, did you not see it when you left this morning?" Alison looked curiously over at Emily whose hands fiddled aimlessly in her lap.

"I was too scared to look up."

Alison smiled softly at how Emily reacted to most situations but her smile quickly disappeared as the thought of Paige holding the brunette so tightly against the wall crept into her mind and the thought of Paige kissing Emily enraged her even more.  
Emily watched as Alison drove into the garage that merged off the gravel path and dipped under the house. The gravel path was pretty much the only thing Emily remembered about the outside of the house, it stretched for almost five hundred metres before circling around a plant and fountain display in front of the home.  
Pulling the car to a complete stop Alison turned the engine off but when Emily looked over at her the blonde looked flustered, she was breathing unbelievably fast and her hands were so tight around the steering wheel that they were turning white.

Looking away from the blonde and getting a proper look at the garage Emily noticed there were another two cars and a motorbike, there was the Ferrari that she had already seen and a large Range Rover, it was a huge space but nothing else was there except for the vehicles, it was clean and neat.  
While gawking at the expensive cars Emily didn't notice Alison get out and walk around to her side, opening the door the blonde presented Emily her hand and pulled her out of the car.

"Alison, please."

"Quiet, Emily."

"No! You can't keep telling me what to do! I don't work for you; I'm not some body guard or manager." Emily pulled her arm from Alison's when the pair had made it out of the garage and up the stairs leading into the house. The house itself was modern and beautiful. Extravagant artworks hung on most walls, the floors were slick and smooth and the windows that weren't covered with long dark drapes were clear and reflective. Being in the house a second time gave Emily a chance to observe its beauty and detail.  
A soft hum of music echoed throughout the walls that would've usually calmed Emily but really it only confused her.

"What do you want from me, Alison?" Emily questioned when the blonde didn't turn to her.

"I- I don't know."Alison answered quietly, her back still towards Emily.

"You don't know?" She asked astonishment clear in her voice.  
Alison shrugged her shoulders and turned around slowly, taking the hood of her jumper off her head as she moved.

"Alison, when I said I couldn't do this I meant it. I just got out of the worst relationship imaginable; I don't want to be with someone who doesn't know if they want to be with me. It is not only confusing but extremely hurtful."

"I'm not like Paige, Emily." Alison said, with hurt evident in her tone.

"I can't feel like this, I can't have you mad at me when I did nothing wrong."

"You let her in, what was I supposed to think?" Alison watched as Emily connected the dots.

"I didn't _want_ her there, she pushed her way in."

"She was _kissing_ you." Alison raised her hands up in anger, she was beyond upset with Emily and how she had found her.

"She was also choking me." Emily pointed out, her shy and quiet tone long gone as the anger within her built up.  
Alison dropped her shoulders in defeat.  
She knew she was being ridiculous but it was hard not to jump to conclusions.

"You're a lot stronger then her, why didn't you just push her away?" Alison moved closer to Emily, softening her tone trying to defuse the situation.

"Because I didn't want to hurt her."

There was a long silence.  
They stood there in the hallway between the living room and staircase, the only sound was the music changing over from one song to the next. Alison looked at Emily, hating the distance that was between them, also sensing that the brunette was displeased with it too.

"No one is allowed to touch you Emily. Not like that, not anymore." Slowly she closed the space between them, trying to soften her irritation as she reached out for Emily's clenched hands.

"Alison..." She tried, but Alison only held her hands tighter and pulled her closer.

"I can't bear to watch someone touch you like that again." Their lips were mere inches away as Alison whispered her insecurities.

"You won't have to." Emily's voice was so sweet and smooth; it flittered through Alison's ears, giving her the confidence she didn't know she needed.  
Emily's arms snaked around Alison's waist and pulled her close, their lips still apart but creating tension fast.  
Alison could feel her heart beating in her ears, she could feel the anticipation Emily was purposefully creating by lightly grazing her lips against her own but never making full contact.  
Their breathing became rapid and short as each second passed.  
She couldn't help but tangle her hands into Emily's hair roughly while pulling her as close as she could.  
They stayed like this for what seemed like a long time.  
Every time Alison would move to kiss Emily, she would move slightly back and smile.

"Kiss me." Alison pleaded her voice so soft it was a mere whisper.

"So bossy." Emily chuckled as Alison's hold tightened around her.

"Please Emily." She whimpered; feeling defeated as the brunette's lips dangled teasingly in front of her still not making enough satisfying contact. "Please kiss me."

"Maybe you shouldn't always get what you want." Emily continued to tease, moving her lips lightly across Alison's cheek to her neck.

"I _need_ you to kiss me." Alison moaned as she moved her neck to grant Emily further access.

At the sound of Alison's moan Emily felt her heart skip a beat; her body was aching for more as each small movement the blonde made moved through herself. She felt herself grab Alison and push her to the closest wall, their breathing still rapid and short as one of the blonde's hands moved to her cheek while the other remained securely in her hair.  
Alison attempted to take control when fighting to kiss Emily was unsuccessful but she was only pushed further into the wall with a soft thud each time she tried.  
Without command Emily's hand made its way down to the back of Alison's thigh sending sparks fly up her leg as she went. Lifting the blonde's leg into her body Emily's eyes never left Alison's.  
The atmosphere in the room was ecstatic, it was on fire and not once had Emily's lips made contact with Alison's.  
Giving in to her urges and the blonde's pleading eyes Emily connected their lips in a heated kiss, instantly causing a soft moan to slip from the shorter girl's lips.  
They fought for dominance but Alison gave in quickly, enjoying the control that Emily was presenting. She knew it was important for the brunette to be in control, she could sense she hadn't felt it for a long time, if at all.  
Pleasure seeped through their lips as their tongues met and moved with each other, this time Alison could feel Emily's heart beat against her.  
The need for air was growing fast but neither dared to break the contact, instead Alison grabbed Emily's hands and opened her eyes to catch her attention.  
Unwillingly breaking away Emily looked curiously at Alison whose eyes glistened with lust. The blonde smiled seductively and pulled her up the stairs.  
She watched as Alison's hips swayed with each elegant movement, her hair was long and flowing, hanging freely off her shoulders.  
As she continued to watch her move so fluently Emily couldn't help but pull her backwards and into her hold, only to then again push against the nearest wall.

Alison was surprised by the motion; she was surprised at how Emily could make something so rough, be so gentle and sexy. It caught her breath as the brunette's lips went straight to her neck, lightly biting and sucking.

"Bed..." Alison moaned and panted, her thoughts distracted by Emily's lips. "Take me... to... bed."

Emily looked up as if she was hearing correctly, only to be greeted with Alison's closed eyes in anticipation for the moment and her hand pointing towards her bedroom.  
Quickly grabbing the back of Alison's thigh's, Emily lifting the blonde steadily into her body, feeling her legs wrap tightly around her as she made her way to the bedroom, their lips never disconnecting.

Opening the door Emily walked into the room and felt Alison reach to shut it behind them, as she heard the click of the handle flicking back into place she softly lay the blonde down onto the unmade bed.  
It had been left the same way she had left it that morning and she would've been curious as to why if she wasn't so consumed by the moment.  
Alison's hands remained around Emily's neck as the brunette hovered above her, trying to kiss every inch of her skin that was exposed. She could feel strong hands snaking underneath her shirt and up her stomach, lightly making contact every so often to generate further friction.  
Emily was almost taunting Alison with her hands as she slowly moved them across her skin, letting her fingertips occasionally stroke the surface, it was driving her crazy. The atmosphere was full of a fiery passion that Alison was desperately trying to control as she watched Emily tease her.  
It was incredibly sexy but she wanted more, she could feel her body twitching each time Emily's fingers moved away.  
She couldn't help as her urgers took control, grabbing Emily's back she flipped them around and straddled her. The surprise was clear in her eyes but it was quickly replaced with pleasure.

"You like teasing?" Alison's voice was laced with seduction as she slowly lowered her body closer to Emily's.  
The brunette was so stunned with silence she could barely nod.

"I like teasing too." Alison smirked and moved Emily's hands above her head. "Don't move them."

Emily didn't dare to move as Alison slowly rose herself back up, though the temptation was definitely there she did as she was told.  
Alison's hands slowly made their way down Emily's body as she moved, letting them delicately move up her own legs and towards her jumper. Taking it off, she threw it to the ground and moved onto her shirt.  
She watched and enjoyed as Emily's eyes widen.  
Very slowly she grabbed the hem of her shirt and lifted it above her head, making the process as long as possible.  
She could feel Emily squirming underneath, wanting to touch and move from her ordered position. When her shirt was on the ground with her jumper Alison let her eyes focus back on Emily, who was admiring her now exposed mid section. The brunette's dark eyes exploring the lacy bra that compliment Alison's breast, making them sit perfectly, tempting Emily to touch.

Alison continued her seductive path and let her hands move to the button of her jeans, her mind however momentarily distracted by Paige's words earlier.  
 _  
...It wasn't exactly the most exciting sex anyways. She couldn't even get off, not once..._

How could Emily have been with someone for four years and not once...  
Alison shook the thought away and decided that if what Paige said was true she was going to make Emily feel so incredible, that nothing would ever compare.

"Alison?" Emily questioned, her hands automatically going to the blonde's legs.

Quickly looking back at the shy brunette Alison flashed a seductive smirk. Taking her hands in her own, Alison slowly lowered herself down while lifting Emily's hands above her head again.

"What did I say about your hands?"

"Don't move them." Emily smiled sheepishly at Alison's boldness; it was sexy to say the least.

"Can you do that for me? Or do I have to find another way to keep them there?" Alison let her lips dangle by Emily's ear, feeling the hairs rise up on her neck.

"I... can do that." She stuttered.

"Good girl, they don't have to stay there. I'll tell you when you can move them again but until then, there's one more thing I have planned."

Emily was panting with anticipation; her heart was running a marathon trying to keep up with Alison's charisma.

"What's that?"

"You're going to come for me." Alison whispered and Emily swallowed in response. "I'm going to make you feel so good that you will be screaming my name. You're going to scream it that loud everyone will know, that you are mine."

"I don't know if... if I can."

"You can and you will Emily."

There was a short moment of silence in which Alison's hands moved to the hem of Emily's shirt and began slipping it up her body.

"If you're uncomfortable at anytime, you tell me, okay?"

Emily nodded shyly, all her confidence seemed to disappear as the half exposed Alison sat above her.

"Tell me you understand." Alison commanded, she had stopped removing Emily's shirt just before her breast. With her stomach exposed Emily felt so dominated but for the first time she didn't care.

"I understand." She finally whispered.

"Good girl." Alison purred, and slowly began raising the rest of Emily's shirt above her head. Seconds later the item was on the ground with Alison's other clothes and her hands were moving to Emily's waist, playing with the skin as she went.

"Now, where was I?" She teased.

Emily's hands struggled to remain above her head as Alison moved her own hands back to her jeans. Unbuttoning them and unzipping the fly she parted the fabric slightly to reveal matching underwear, the lacy fabric tempting Emily even further.  
Alison's teasing was almost unbearable as she smirked and lowered herself against Emily's chest. Giving into the pressure Emily's hands almost flew to Alison's back, trying to press them closer together.

"Uh-uh," She chuckled as Emily tried to kiss her. "Stay here, don't move."  
She whispered seductively before standing from the bed and walking into her wardrobe, finding her dressing gown she pulled the string from it and disregarded the silky item to the floor.  
Walking back out with the string in one hand Alison smiled when Emily made eye contact with the string then her.  
Before getting back onto the bed Alison stripped off her jeans and kicked them away, Emily sat up in excitement and immediately forgot about Alison's commands.

"You don't like doing what you're told, do you?" Alison hums as she rejoins Emily on the messy bed.

"Not when it comes to you." Emily smiled before pulling Alison gently onto her.  
As the blonde sat straddled on her stretched out legs Emily wrapped her arms around her back and pulled her closer.

"What happened to lying down?" Alison questioned as Emily's lips when to her neck.

"I like this better." Moving one hand down Alison's back Emily let it freely play with the skin of the blonde's inner thigh, causing a shutter to course through her, while the other hand almost expertly unclipped her bra.  
At its release Alison felt a moan fall from her lips, letting her head roll back as Emily's lips made their way down her chest.  
Looking down at Emily, Alison smiled at how happy the brunette looked, how much she was enjoying the moment but she wanted Emily to enjoy something more.

"Give me your hands." Alison's voice was low and husky, full of lust and seduction. Moving her hands around her back she quickly redid her bra and gently took Emily's hands from her body.  
Pushing the brunette back down onto the bed Alison chuckled at how willing she really was.

"I told you to keep them there." She said as she grabbed the silk-like string and gently but securely tied it around Emily's wrists.  
Emily giggled softly as the excitement of what Alison was doing ran through her. Alison quickly pushed her hands back above her head before getting comfortable in their previous straddled position.

"We will continue that position later, for now though..." She trailed away and moved the button of Emily's jeans. Slowly standing again she pulled the jeans from Emily's body, letting the fabric cause a friction on the taller girl's skin.  
As the jeans joined the pile of other clothes on the floor Alison's stood and admired Emily's body, her tanned skin and muscular physique displayed a beauty she could enjoyed for hours on end.  
Emily lay there quietly waiting for Alison to make her next move, it seemed taking her time was a secret way of teasing her, and it was working. She squirmed uncontrollably as she missed the contact of Alison's skin against her own.  
Noticing how eager the brunette was Alison smiled before slowly straddling her again, receiving a sigh of relief from Emily as their skin touched again.  
Slowly she moved to kiss Emily's neck, gently sucking and biting while smoothing over the spot with her touch. As her lips repeated the process she let her hand lightly touch the surface of the brunette's skin, causing small moans to fall freely from her lips as the combination mixed together.

"Good girl." Alison encouraged before letting her hand slip further down Emily's body until she reached the outline of her underwear.  
Moving along the waist line she would occasionally dip the very tip of her fingers underneath the fabric, causing Emily to take a sharp breath or moan.  
After sucking on the same spot Alison realised it would probably leave a mark, not that she was bothered but regardless she moved her lips up Emily's jaw line and finally towards her lips.  
Finally kissing her Alison was returned with a passion she wasn't expecting. Emily returned the kiss with such emotion it was like they had gone years without touching at all.  
Every so often Emily would be tempted to move her hands but with them safely secured together it wasn't like she could touch the blonde anyway.  
Quickly snaking her hands underneath Emily's back Alison unclipped the brunette's bra and swiftly removed it from her body.  
Letting her lips trail down her body, Alison watched as Emily's breathing increased rapidly in anticipation. Her lips dancing around Emily's already hardened nipples but not making full contact, and it drove the brunette wild.

"Alison... please..." Emily begged as she arched her body into Alison's, causing her to smile. The control she felt as the brunette pleaded beneath her was electrifying.  
Slowly she let her lips enclose around Emily's nipple, almost making her come undone then and there but as the repetitive motion of her tongue flicking against the hardened skin quickened it gave Emily a sense of familiarity that she grew accustom to.  
Alison's free hand made its way to down Emily's chest and towards her underwear once again, this time however not stopping at the edge of the fabric and instead moving it to the side to gain better access.

"You're so wet." Alison whispered as she made no hesitation in moving against Emily's folds, causing the only response to be a deep exhale and a sharp moan.  
Taking it as encouragement Alison moved her fingers more against Emily while continuing to suck and kiss up and down her chest.  
At first it seemed the sensation surprised Emily but within seconds she was moving her hips against Alison's fingers in an attempt to create further friction.

"Are you going to come for me, Emily?" Alison whispered as she moved with Emily's rocking hips. Nodding the brunette licked her lips and let out another moan, followed by a sigh of frustration when Alison's movement stopped.

"Tell me." She commanded.

"I'm going to... come for you." Emily twitched uncontrollably as her body ached for more and was rewarded with Alison entering a finger inside her.  
For a long time Alison teased her, making slow and short movements until she was almost screaming in frustration, until she was begging for more.

"Alison, please."

"Please what Emily?" Alison smiled triumphantly as Emily's hands struggled to stay above her head.

"Faster." She panted.

"You need only ask." Alison replied before quickening her movements and inserting another finger.  
It didn't take Emily long before she felt an unfamiliar build up in the pit of her stomach. It shook her body violently as it begged for more and her hands were desperately trying to reach around Alison's back almost as a subconscious action but the blonde's free hand went to hold them in position.

"Soon." She whispered before loosening the silk bindings around her wrists while still holding her hands tightly above her head.

"Alison..." Emily moaned, her body displaying her readiness for climax as Alison moved against her.

"Not yet, hold it."

"I can't." She puffed in response.

"You can, I want you to scream my name." Alison continued her movements, feeling Emily tightened around her as she did. Emily was close and she could not only feel it but the brunette was doing well to vocalise it.

"Are you ready?" Alison questioned as she slowly loosened her grip around Emily's wrists.

"Yes, Alison, yes." Emily moaned loudly, her hands clenching tightly.

"Good," Alison quickly let go of Emily's wrists and felt them move just as quickly to her back. "Come for me."

With Alison's command Emily let her body release as her climax spread through her, calling out loudly Alison's name her hands tightened around her back as she rode out her orgasm.  
Alison's lips soon made contact with Emily's as the brunette continued to hold her tightly, they kissed until her body calmed.  
After her muscles finally gave into the pleasure flowing through her Emily's arms fell from Alison's back and to the bed in exhaustion. Her breath was short and her mouth was dry but her lips didn't leave the blonde's.

"Good girl." Alison praised happily, feeling accomplished as Emily's closed eyes finally made contact with her own again.

"Wow..." Emily said sheepishly as Alison removed her fingers.

"Wow indeed Miss Fields." Alison smiled before gently pulling the brunette up so she could straddle her again.

"What are you doing?" She questioned curiously as Alison's hands went around her neck and made herself comfortable.

"I said we would continue this later, it's later." She smiled before holding Emily's cheeks in her hand and pulling her in for a passionate kiss.  
Subconsciously Emily's hands went to her back and began unclipping her bra again.

 **Hey guys, sorry it's been a little longer for this update, things really haven't been good at work or home and it requires a lot of my energy and time. I'm trying to make time I promise.  
I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and I hope it was worth it :)  
If you've got any suggestions or requests leave a review, I'm always open for ideas.  
Anyway, hope everyone enjoyed!**

 **-Aemstar**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Alison legs pumped profusely back and forth as she jogged along the outskirts of the lake. It was early morning and the birds could be heard filling the silent atmosphere with light chirping. It was just after sunrise and the bright yellow orb that had been missing for days had finally made it through the clouds.  
It was only the beginning of the day but the sun was warm, indicated that now rain wasn't going to invade the days forecast. In fact there were no clouds in sight, which Alison was slightly disappointed with because it meant there was no way Emily wasn't playing soccer.  
As she ran across through the old path that lead through the different areas of the lake she would put her head down anytime someone else would pass her but her dark grey hoodie covered most of her face anyway.  
For the last couple of weeks living in Rosewood Alison had adjusted to the quietness of the lake, usually no one was around and if there were they were just as absorbed in their own activities as she was.  
No one seemed to notice who she was. Which she liked.  
After almost an hour of running she had made it around the allocated path and was heading home, the lake wasn't big but big enough that it would draw attraction in the summer.  
As she headed back onto the main road she saw Mason lingering by his car, watching her and the surroundings around her carefully, providing her with extra security if it was needed. She nodded to him and heard him started the engine.  
As she made her way back to the gravel path not far from the lake parking lot Alison felt her heart skip a beat at the thought of going back to Emily, the brunette was fast asleep when she left so she assumed she wouldn't be awake for a while.  
Breaking her from her clouded thoughts of the naked Emily from her mind was Mason zooming passed her in the Ferrari. She smirked at his boyish like interest in the vehicle before entering the gates of her property, leaving the car parked in front of the house Mason shrugged his large body out with a struggle.

"Show off." Alison chuckled as Mason smiled.

"How often do I get to drive a Ferrari, Miss DiLaurentis?"

"Not often, but what's wrong with the AUDI?" Alison was puffing slightly but out of exhaustion, she wasn't unfit in any sense of the word. Jogging was something she did every morning to stay in shape.

"It's a status symbol I suppose." Mason followed her up the stairs and pulled the house keys from his pocket, handing them to Alison when she waited at the door.

"Oh yes, look at me! I'm rich and pretentious." She mocked as the pair made their way inside.

"Why did you buy the car if you don't like it?" Mason questioned curiously.

"Oh I like it, and it suits me well, being the rich, pretentious type." Alison laughed as she threw her joggers off to the side.  
Mason joined her in laughter before waiting for further instructions.

"I'm worried about this soccer game today, I think she's in danger being in public like that." Alison stood in front of Mason and watched his reaction, waiting for a reply but he seemed stuck.

"Why are you letting her go?" He asked as he rubbed his chin.

"Interesting fact, she's more stubborn then me."

"I didn't know there was such a thing."

"You're hilarious," Alison smiled sarcastically. "I don't know when it starts but I will need you there. I know it's the weekend so I'll give you this week off."

"I don't mind doing today. What would you like me to do in the mean time?"

"Get some things from her house, she needs her soccer gear but I don't want her staying at that death trap of an apartment. If you can't find any decent clothes buy her some."

"Yes ma'am." Turning back towards the door Alison stopped Mason before he was gone.

"Hey, take the Ferrari." She threw the keys at him and smiled genuinely.

"Hooray I can be rich and pretentious for a day." He joked, though Alison knew he was excited to drive the two and a half hundred thousand dollar car.  
As Mason departed Alison made her way up the stairs and towards her bedroom. Opening the door she made her way in and found Emily stirring awake from the sound, cursing herself for not being more quiet she giggled softly when the thick brown locks of Emily's hair lifted heavily from the bed followed by a small groan.

"Good morning sleepy head."

"You've been out already?" Emily grumbled noticing Alison outfit as she moved her head to face her, she was lying face down in the bed with her arms outstretched next to her.

"I was up about two hours ago I went for a run, I didn't want to wake you, you looked peaceful."

"A run? I didn't know people did that anymore." Emily's eyes were still closed but as Alison's eyes roamed across the beautiful brunette's body she noticed a small dark mark on the side of her neck, no doubt from their activities from the night before.

"Yeah it's a thing apparently." Alison chuckled as she sat on the bed next to Emily.

"I don't think I can even move from last night." She sighed, her body felt sore and weak, but in a good way. It was something she had never really experienced before and she couldn't describe it.  
Alison leaned in close to her and kissed the mark that lay upon her neck.

"We'll have to get your fitness up; otherwise you'll never keep up with me."

"Fitness? You're funny, wait fitness... Alison, soccer!" Emily almost jumped from her position on the bed before Alison held her arm softly.

"Hold on there killer, you need to take things a little slow." Emily sat in the bed and held onto her neck, it was sore and felt particularly sore in one spot, as she investigated Alison's lips turned into a playful smirk.

"I need to get ready for soccer." Emily said with a flustered tone.

"When do you start?" Alison felt her lips turning into a bigger smirk.

"I have to be there at eleven."

"You've got plenty of time then." She quickly moved to straddle Emily, letting her arms wrap around her neck as she went.  
Wasting no time she moved into kiss her, her body was still sweaty and warm from the jog but she didn't care and it seemed neither did Emily as her hands instinctively went underneath her shirt and her lips moved from Alison's to her neck.

"You're a fan of this aren't you?" Alison moaned softly as Emily's hands moved further up her shirt.

"It gives me an advantage." Emily mumbled into her neck.

"Oh yeah? What advantage is that exactly?"

Moment's passed and Alison could feel the brunette smile into her neck, followed by her hands moving from her chest down to her pants. Not hesitating Emily rubbed the tip of her fingers roughly against the fabric of Alison's tights causing a sharp moan to fall from her lips.

"Okay. I'm a fan too." She whispered and her hands tightened their grip. "But, you need to eat."

Seconds later Alison was off the bed and heading to her wardrobe, taking her shirt off as she moved.

"You're such a tease." She heard Emily groan. Laughing lightly she removed her bra and threw it in the allocated hamper.

"Just the way I like it." She smirked. There was a brief silence that she didn't second think as she went to find a clean bra but seconds later there were cold hands on her warm waist massaging the exposed skin.

"You like teasing? Emily whispered seductively into her ear as she continued to moving her hands up and down Alison's body, purposefully guiding passed her breasts but never making contact.

"Yes." Alison moaned while leaning into Emily's body and lifting her arms up to sit comfortably around the brunette's neck. Feeling the blonde almost wither in her hold Emily spun Alison around and pushed her into the wall of her wardrobe.

"I like teasing too."

Alison allowed her hands to snake around Emily's neck as the brunette continued to push her with a rough gentleness into the wall. She could feel her clothes falling off their hangers around them but she didn't care, she only focused on her breathing.

"You need to slow down Emily." Alison moaned when Emily's hands went to her breast but in the back of her mind the thoughts of Emily's aching body lingered.

"I seemed to keep up okay last night."

"You need to save your energy if you want to play soccer." She chuckled and moved her hands to the brunette's cheeks. "You need to eat."

"You don't like someone else being in control, do you?" Emily sighed in defeat as she watched Alison put fresh clothes on.

"Hmm, not really." She smirked and turned around when she was fully dressed, she was met with Emily and a displeased look.

"Hey," She began as she closed the distance between them. "Maybe... I could make an exception."

"You don't have to change Alison, just... let me have _some_ control."

Alison smiled softly and wrapped her arms around Emily's neck.

"I'm all yours." She whispered encouragingly and she could feel the brunette's arms move around her waist. Closing the space between them Alison touched her nose with Emily's, nuzzling together softly they both smiled and sighed in content.

"Really?"

"Yes, only yours." Alison murmured, hoping that her confidence would convince Emily. Smiling, she slowly leaned in and kissed her, it was slow and passionate; and the moment was pure ecstasy as Emily's hands gently played with the fabric of Alison's shirt.

"But for now, you must eat." Alison took Emily's hands and pulled her from the wardrobe. Looking back Emily was almost gawking at its size but didn't have time to look at every detail because Alison was pulling her downstairs and towards the kitchen.

"Sit." Alison commanded and Emily instantly laughed at how bossy the blonde was being but she didn't seem to mind because it was just how she was.

"Are you sure I can't convince you to cancel on playing today?" Alison questioned for probably the fourth time that hour.

"Spencer and Aria are watching me play before they have to go." Emily was pulling her blue soccer jersey over her head as Alison watched her get dressed.  
Feeling refreshed and full from the breakfast Alison had made for her, Emily was full of a new energy and excitement as she prepared herself for soccer.

"You're pulling out the friend's card? That's not playing fair." Alison giggled. Sitting on her bed and watching Emily get dressed for soccer was something she could get used to, she could just lie back and enjoy.

"And you know all about playing fair, don't you?" Emily turned and winked playfully before pulling her soccer jacket from the bag Mason had brought from her apartment

"Hysterical, Miss Fields." Alison said with sarcasm clear in her voice.

"Come on, the game will go for just over an hour, nothing bad will happen." Picking up her bag she turned to face Alison who had definitely made herself comfortable on her now made bed. Her face however showed an unimpressed expression as Emily straightened her socks up her shine pads.  
When the blonde remained silent she began worried, knowing that Alison wasn't pleased with her wasn't going to help her mindset on the field.

"Alison-" Before she could finish the sound of her phone buzzing to life in her bag interrupted her. Quickly pulling it from the zipped up pocket of her bag Emily looked towards Alison and smiled apologetically.

"It's okay." The blonde granted.

"Hey Hanna, what's up?" Emily slide the accept button and waited for Hanna to speak.

"Good morning, where are you? We're at your apartment and you're not here. Did you go to the soccer ground already?"

"Um... not exactly, you guys head over, I'll be there soon."

"We can pick you up if you want?" Hanna's voice was full of curiosity as she listened to Emily stutter on the other end.

"No it's okay. I'm leaving now, see you soon." Hanging up the phone before Hanna could ask any more questions Emily looked at Alison who had an amused look on her face. Standing from the bed she walked towards the door and heard Emily follow.

"What?"

"Hanna is a curious one, isn't she?" She observed as she walked down the stairs and towards the front door.

"A little, she just knows I'm not telling her everything."

As the pair walked out the door Alison locked it behind her and threw the keys to Mason who was standing next to the large Range Rover at the bottom of stairs.

"Why are all your vehicles black?" Emily questioned when Mason opened the door for her and Alison.

"It's a nice colour." Alison murmured when Mason shut the door behind them, chuckling quietly to himself.

"Are you mad with me?" Emily whispered before Mason made his way into the drivers set.

"I'm not feeling comfortable about this, but no, I'm not mad." Alison didn't look at Emily as Mason got in the car and started the engine.  
Deciding that pushing the subject wasn't exactly a good idea Emily faced out the window and watched as the scenery went by.  
As time passed they were in town and heading for the soccer grounds, it was then Emily realised she had an unsettling feeling sitting at the pit of her stomach. This was the first time since work she would be out in public and she was arriving with Alison, she was thankful the windows were tinted a pitch black.  
Interrupting her thoughts was Alison's warm hand against her own, making her look away from the bright day outside the private car and towards her.

"I just don't want you to get hurt."

They felt the car come to a stop and Emily looked outside in mild surprise, wondering how they could possibly be there already. In the distance on the other side of the field, she could see her team grouped together and readying themselves for a warm up.  
Hanna, Spencer and Aria were all cuddled up next to their boyfriends, indicating that though the sun was bright it was still somewhat cold outside. Dreading the idea of running around in shorts and a thin jersey didn't seem ideal but it needed to be done.  
A few people began staring towards the big black Range Rover that sat parked on the road and it made her realise who she was with, again being thankful the windows were tinted.

"I'll be okay." She said reassuringly, unaware she was convincing herself more than Alison. Quickly the blonde brought her in for a passionate kiss, her lips trying to present an urgency of how she was feeling.

"Now go kick some serious ass." Alison smiled before kissing Emily playfully on the cheek. Getting out she shut the door behind her and heard it lock from the inside, it almost made her jump.  
Turning she was not surprised to find her friends eyes instantly make contact with her own. Hanna was wiggling her eyebrows invasively, Spencer was smirked slightly and Aria had her usual happy encouraging smile.  
Making her way over to her friends Emily tried to ignore the eyes that followed her, most people were too involved in the current game that was going on to notice she was there but there were a few strays pointing and whispering.

"Thanks for coming guys." Emily sighed as she broke the conversation that Caleb, Toby and Ezra were having, completely oblivious to the stares that stalked Emily almost attackingly.

"Hey Em!" Toby almost cheered as he pulled her into a tight hug, it was as if he hadn't seen her in months. Though since the night they went clubbing it had almost been three months since they had seen each other because he was so busy with work.

"Hey Toby, how's the construction business coming along?"

"Same old, same old." He chuckled as he released his hold. "Good to see you when I'm not blind drunk."

"So Em, I didn't know you were into Range Rovers?" Hanna giggled as she pulled Emily away from Toby and towards the three girls.

"Not now Han." Emily warned.

" _Come on_."

"Hey Em!" All heads turned towards Samara who was jogging her way over to them, freeing Emily from Hanna's investigating eyes.

"Hey." Emily sighed in relief.

"We've got to warm up." Samara's smile was strangely inviting as she looked around the group that were all secretly aching to ask Emily about what was going on with Alison DiLaurentis.

"Sure." Emily said, a thankful tone laced in her voice as she really didn't have a backup plan for her friends interrogation.

"This isn't over." Hanna chuckled as she made her way towards the rest of her team.

"How are you?" Samara said as Emily dropped her bag off with the rest.

"Nervous, though I'm not sure why." She said honestly.

"That's alright, once you get moving you'll be okay."

Emily hoped that Samara was right, but as she looked over at the pitch black Ranger Rover parked not far from the field the unsettling feeling only flourished through her as she thought that maybe Alison was right. And as she noticed the eyes of curious on lookers fall upon her it only proved her point further.

There was a tension on the field that not just Emily seemed to feel, even their coach had warned them to watch out for each other.  
As the echo of the referee blowing his whistle indicating for them all to line up in the middle sounded Emily walked over to Samara who had been talking with their coach.

"We don't have any subs again." She muttered unimpressed.

"We'll be okay." Emily tried.

"Captains with me." The referee said neutrally as all the players from their team and the other lined up opposite each other. The other team was full of taller and muscular woman, though it may have been a woman's only competition Emily's team felt seriously out numbered.  
Emily swallowed deeply when she realised she was the teams Captain, walking to the front she kept her head down until she was in line with the referee and his linesmen.

"Hey ladies, my names Craig and I'll be your ref for today. These are my linesmen, Tod and Michael. Don't give them any grief, if you must talk to someone talk to me but let's keep it clean and play a fair game. This isn't the Fifa World Cup remember?"

There were small chuckles throughout the players but when the tension in the air only grew higher no one seemed to want to laugh. Craig was no more than twenty years old and his linemen looked even younger but Emily wasn't fussed, it meant he might be fair with his refereeing.

"Captains shake hands." Craig commanded and every head moved towards Emily and the other girl who over towered her.

"Good luck." Emily cleared her throat before extending her hand to the unknown woman.

"Good luck." She replied, though it wasn't genuine and it was obvious.

"Away team, heads or tails?" Craig looked towards the other Captain, completely oblivious to the atmosphere that dangled.

"Heads." She said confidently before he flicked a coin in the air and catching it again.

"Tales, home team which way do you want to go." He turned towards Emily and with him did every other eye within earshot.

"We'll stay where we are." Emily didn't look away from the taller Captain who was looking her up and down with an uncomfortable smirk.

"Alright, away team your kick off. Take your positions." Craig pushed the soccer ball that had been at his feet most of the time towards the centre and went to speak to his linesmen. Everyone parted to move into their positions but Emily was interrupted by the other teams Captain.

"That's one way for your team to get some publicity. _Sleep with a celebrity_." She mumbled so only Emily could hear. Turning around Emily raised her eyebrows as if it was making her sure she wasn't just hearing things.

"What did you say?" She questioned defensively, feeling her hands clench uncontrollably.

"You heard me." The taller woman crossed her arms and her smirk grew in size. Instantly Emily felt hands on her shoulders bopping up and down with excitement.

"Good choice Em. They've got the sun." Samara smiled innocently as she tried to defuse the situation in front of her.

"That just means you'll get it next half." Another young woman came and stood next to her friend, crossing her arms as well.

"Unfortunately no, see those clouds over there?" Emily pointed to the south at a large amount of cloud cover that had appeared only recently. "They will be moving over the sun in about forty minutes."

Emily felt herself relax knowing she had out-smarted the other team already and they weren't too impressed. Samara giggled before pulling her away.

" _Are you crazy_? Don't pick a fight with them, they're huge!"

"I didn't... she just made a comment."

"I heard don't worry, but if she makes anymore comments make sure the ref hears it okay?" Samara smiled cheekily before winking and turning away, nodding her head for Emily to follow.

When the players had taken their positions the referee blew the whistle signalling the game to start. Emily had been playing on the right side in the mid-field position, a position that required the most running, which she liked.  
The first twenty minutes went pretty smoothly, a few pentiles to accidental but still foul plays were called evenly for each team.  
Emily's team communicated better together but the other team was faster and there were more of them, technically it was already a loss for Emily and her teammates but they didn't give up.  
At some point through-out the half the opposition teams coach had called off the Captain and had then put her back on with less than ten minutes to play.  
Emily hadn't realised until she was standing next to her. Feeling out of breath and tired from running an entire half Emily bent over and tried to catch what air she could. It was only one point to the opposition by that point, it was a lucky goal really but it didn't stop her from trying.

"Out of shape?" She muttered triumphantly but Emily didn't bite, she merely straightened herself up and called Samara's name when she had stolen the ball from the opposition.  
Running closer Emily got into position and waited for Samara to pass her the ball. Quickly twisting the ball skilfully around a player Samara passed to Emily and yelled at her to run.  
Running down the field Emily pushed the ball just as skilfully in front of her, avoiding three separate players that had tried to steal the ball back.  
She could hear her friends and team mates yelling at her to keep going and she felt the encouragement flow through, letting it power her she leant back and launched the ball with every inch of strength she had.  
It flew so fast that the goalkeeper had no time to even move to catch it; it curved straight into the top left hand corner and hit the net.  
Letting the triumphant feeling skin in she felt her team mates jump onto of her in excitement, congratulating her.  
Moments later the referee blew the whistle for half time and everyone made their way off the field and to their allocated areas.  
They spent twenty minutes catching their breaths, talking about what they could improve and what flaws the other team had that they could use to their advantage.  
But the only thing Emily could seem to focus on was the black Range Rover that hadn't moved the whole game. She was feeling slightly impressed and hoping Alison saw her goal when Samara's voice broke her back into reality.

"Good goal Em! Now just do that again."

The referee blew his whistle again, making everyone groan slightly at the thought of another half still to play. Like Emily had predicted the clouds had moved in front of the sun so they weren't going to be stuck with any unnecessary distractions.

"Come on girls we can do this!" Emily almost screamed as she tried to encourage the rest of them.

It was their kick off this time so Emily and Samara made their way into the centre. Out of the corner of her eye Emily saw the other teams Captain whispering to some others before getting into position.  
Passing the ball the next half starting off smoothly, though this time there was a lot more tension in the air. Both teams were eager to get that second goal to make them ahead but both were evenly matched.  
Every time there was a nail biting scare in which the ball would go close to each goal someone would snatch it or kick it out.  
Almost half an hour had passed and there were still no results, expect that Emily's team was becoming exhausted from the lack of rest, Emily herself had been running back and forth none stop trying to save and steal the ball.

"That Ranger Rover yours?" Emily heard the Captain from behind her; they both had stopped and decided to take a breather as someone had kicked the ball too hard outside the field.

"That's none of your business." Emily murmured when she noticed the taller woman's mocking tone. Trying to walk away she could hear footsteps follow but she remained calm.  
Samara turned around and subtly nodded towards her, nodding back Emily sprinted off and watched as the ball went to Samara's feet and then quickly back into the air. Landing just in front of Emily she quickly tapped it around the oppositions captain and let her speed carry herself.  
Making almost half the length of the field Emily was ready to shoot when she felt a huge power push her back and the pressure made her fall.  
And she fell hard.  
The force of the fall caused her to uncontrollably let out a yelp in pain; her hand went to her shoulder that was burning and her legs curled up into her body as she felt tears well in her eyes.  
The pulsing sensation in her shoulder was unbearable as the referee blew his whistle and a crowd of Emily's teammates quickly gathered around her.

"Emily? Are you alright?" Samara said comfortingly as she knelt down to Emily's side.

"Ref! What the hell was that?" The coach exclaimed as he rushed to commotion, worried for Emily's safety.

"Don't yell Sir, I will deal with it. Take care of your player." The ref remained cool and collected as he walked away and talked to the other team players.

"Emily?" She heard someone call but she didn't look up, she was short of breath and her shoulder hurt so much so couldn't help but let the tears fall fleetingly from her eyes.

"What hurts?"

"My... shoulder... I can't... breathe." Emily gasped, she felt panicked and with the mix of adrenaline in her veins she only felt worse.

"We need to move her."

"She's just faking it! It's just crocodile tears for another fifteen minutes of fame!" Emily heard someone from the other team call and they were joined with laughter. Samara turned around and went to say something but Emily stopped her.

"I can get up."

After over two minutes helping Emily get to her feet Samara let her wrap an arm around her shoulder while she supported the other sore shoulder by holding up her arm against her chest.  
Limping off the field Emily could hear a few people clapping but the other team were booing, turning around she saw the referee giving the Captain a red card, she must have been the one that had pushed her.

"Em! Are you okay?" Spencer called as she and the others ran to her side but she could only nod in response.

"I think she dislocated her arm but look at this," Samara pointed towards a large red and purple bruise beginning to swell massively across the line of Emily's collarbone. "We should get you an ambulance."

"No it's fine, I'll just go to the doctors, I'm sure it's nothing." Emily didn't want to think of paying for an ambulance, especially on a weekend at this time.

"You need to go to the emergency room." A deep voice interrupted from behind them and when the entire group looked around they were met with Mason in his all black suit and his dark sunglasses.

"And who are you? The Men in Black?" Hanna asked mildly surprised at Mason's physique.

"Something like that." Mason walked passed Hanna and towards Emily who had repressed her tears for the time being but her shoulder was still in tremendous pain and her legs were both aching from landing so hard from the fall.

"You are right Miss," Mason looked over at Samara who still had Emily's left arm slouched over her shoulder while he looked at the brunette's shoulder. "It's dislocated, and it looks like you've broken the collarbone."

"Come on Emily, we'll drive you." Hanna walked to her side and took Samara's place.

"I've got to keep playing, will you be okay?" Samara looked from Emily back to the soccer fields. It seemed there was a heated debate going on between the referee, some random team members and the coaches that she would have to help neutralize.

"That's okay, thanks Samara." Emily felt her body aching from each movement she made but she tried hard not to show it as many people had begun taking photos and videos on their phones.  
Hanna, Aria and Spencer made their way to the car, protecting Emily from the stares and cameras, while the boys made their own way to Toby's pickup truck.  
Mason walked behind Emily, protecting her from any other dangers that might present themselves.

"Is she mad?" Emily turned and whispered to Mason, whose lip twitched uncomfortably at the question, giving Emily her answer.

"Do you want an honest response?"

"Yes..." Emily paused before answering.

"She's furious."

 _Great_. Emily thought to herself before Aria and Spencer helped her into the back of the car.

The drive was slow because each movement of the car would cause further pain for Emily, most of the trip consisted of Hanna and Spencer gossiping about the unfair tackle that had injured her in the first place.

"You've got a hickie." Aria mumbled with a small smile and Emily almost jumped at the thought. Her hand instinctively went to her neck but she couldn't feel the offending bruise.  
Aria laughed softly and pointed on her neck where Emily's was, just under her ear, thankfully covered by her hair.

"Who is mad with you?" Aria whispered as Hanna and Spencer continued their talking.

"Um... it's complicated." Emily winced when Hanna accidently stopped too hard at a traffic light.

"Sorry Em."

"Alison DiLaurentis?" Aria kept her voice quiet as Spencer began telling Hanna how to drive the car.  
Emily wasn't used to hearing Alison full name anymore.  
Sure Mason would call her Miss DiLaurentis, but she was somewhat becoming accustom to it. It just made Alison sound less personal with her, like she was still that famous celebrity she never knew.  
When Emily finally pulled away from her inner monologue and went to answer, Hanna pulled into a parking spot not far from the emergency room and turned the engine off.

"That big black car has been following us the whole time." Hanna said as she looked in the rear view mirror and every head turn around in response, except Emily because such an athletic move hurt her too much.'

"Never mind that, let's get her inside." Aria broke the silence when she saw the uncomfortable look on Emily's face. Opening the door she got out and walked around to help Emily.  
Whatever this problem was and whoever that huge suited man was, it was obviously not something Emily wanted to talk about.  
As they slowly made their way inside Emily could tell instantly that Alison's eyes were watching her. Even though they were hidden behind the large Range Rover's tinted windows she knew that eventually she would have to make full contact with them...  
Eventually.

 **Hey everyone, I didn't really get a huge response from last chapter, just wondering if it was any good?  
Thank you to all the lovely people who did leave a review though! Really appreciate it. And the suggestions too.  
Anyways I know Emily in the show doesn't actually show any interest in soccer but for this fanfic I thought it would be good for the story.  
Also I really am trying to update as frequently as I can, please be patient.  
Hope you all enjoyed**

 **-Aemstar**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

After almost two hours in emergency passed, waiting in the cold dead silent room for the next available doctor Emily felt that any moment she would explode from the combination of impatience and pain.  
Her shoulder was beyond the state of soreness where any movement at all, even an intake of air, would be excoriating.  
After another half an hour of Spencer, Hanna and Aria walking to the desk asking how much longer they would be waiting Emily's name was finally called.  
Several heads looked up from the mindless activities when they realised that Emily Fields was the girl from all the newspaper articles, people that were in couples or groups began whispering while the few that were alone just stared curiously.

"Hello Miss Fields, my name is Jessica, apologises for the wait it's been a busy day." The doctor was older than Emily was expecting, she would have been in her mid fifties and her tone was borderline bored as she walked Emily and her friends through the halls of the emergency room.

"That's okay." Emily winced as she took a deep breath before limping around the corner with Jessica, Hanna at her side while Spencer and Aria tagged along close behind.

"Do they all need to be here?" Jessica's tone was almost rude but not quite enough for Hanna to say something offending back.

"Yes. We're her friends." Spencer beat Hanna to the punch as she opened her arm out to invite Emily into the room, ignoring Jessica's displeased look.

"It would be more practical if there was just one of you."

"We will go," Aria began before Spencer could lose her tempt. "Hanna you stay, we will go find the boys."

Seconds later Aria was pulling Spencer out the door giving Jessica an apologetic looking.

"She's a feisty one." Jessica chuckled, feeling slightly relaxed after such a funny display of friendship.

"She wants to be a lawyer." Emily smiled when she sensed Jessica's change in mood.

"Well, she made a good career choice. Take a seat." Emily and Hanna laughed softly before sitting on the available chairs and watched as Jessica opened up a small folder that they both assumed to be Emily's fills she had filled out about two hours earlier.

"So, you were playing soccer and you got pushed?"

"Basically." Emily mumbled, holding her shoulder and arm in the most comfortable position she could manage.

"Just by looking at it I can tell it is dislocated but with that bruising I'm definitely going to be needing an X-ray. As for the pain I will start you on some Oxycodone and maybe Morphine, are you driving?"

"No."

"Good, well I will send you to get that done immediately. It won't take too long as this is somewhat urgent."

Jessica turned to the laptop on her desk and began typing aggressively, moments later a form was printed from the printer and she was sending them down the hall and towards another waiting room.  
They waited for less than ten minutes when Emily was called, Hanna was told to wait outside to her displeasure.

"Hi Emily, my name is Justin and I'll be doing your X-rays. Now I have a few questions before we get start, are you pregnant?"

"No." Emily answered honestly with a soft chuckle, she knew it was a question asked with every woman patient and with all the "Are you pregnant?" signs on the wall she didn't find it out of the ordinary. She smiled slightly at the thought, considering there would be no chance she could actually get pregnant.

"It's not funny, is it a possibility?" Justin was almost offended, like Emily was laughing at him and not the question.

"No, I can assure you it's not possible."

"Are you sexually active?" Justin was being unnecessarily pushy as he began preparing the X-ray machine.

"Um, I don't see how that is necessary information to you." Emily creased her eyebrows and watched as Justin awkwardly straightened himself up.

"It's just if you are pregnant-"

"I'm not that way inclined." She interrupted and instantly he closed his mouth. Looking down at the paper work he realised her name and let out an awkward, "Oh".  
Without apologising he continued the process of setting up the machine and began telling Emily where to stand and where to move. Within five minutes they were done and Emily was heading back out to where they had left Hanna.

"How did it go?" Hanna smiled encouragingly.

"Let's just get out of here." Emily didn't wait for Hanna as she stormed passed in a limping rage. Hanna looked back to Justin who was holding onto Emily's referral sheet. Walking over Hanna snatched it from him and turned to catch up with the brunette.

"Hey wait up." She called, wondering what had happened in the ten minutes Emily was getting her scans done.  
After several questions going unanswered Hanna decided to give up in her endeavour to find out and instead moved her focus onto getting Emily into see Jessica again.  
Some time had passed before they could see her but with almost another hour of silent but patient waiting Emily was back in the room waiting for Jessica to tell her what was wrong.

"Well I looked at your X-rays and it is indeed a broken collarbone." Jessica said matter-of-factly as she pulled out a large envelope that Emily recognised as an X-ray file. Taking out the very dark blue sheets of plastic-like scans she moved it over to a board on the wall that switched on with a bright light.  
As the light illuminated Emily's shoulder blade the numerous breaks in her bone was very noticeable. Right in the centre of right collarbone was a sharp and jaggered snap that went through the whole bone. Essentially her collarbone was snap into two pieces while at the end there was a large crack and several small fractures.

"It isn't an ideal break," Hanna went to interject about it being a break and it wasn't going to be ideal in any situation but Emily nudged her with her uninjured arm knowing the blonde was going to say something with an attitude. "And since your shoulder is dislocated we're going to have to put it back in before the bone can even think about healing."

"How long will the bone take to heal?" Emily sighed at the thought of the hours of pain yet to come but tried to focus on the present.

"For such an injury, at least ten weeks but I'm think at your age, twelve or more. Not including the sixteen weeks of feeling for the dislocation."

"Her age? She's still young." Hanna blurted out, frustration clear in her tone.

" _Hanna_." Emily groaned.

"Yes,' Jessica mumbled, laughing slightly at Hanna's constant need to stand up for her friend. "You are young but you've also stopped growing. This is a serious break Miss Fields. Usually a broken Clavicle will be treated with a sling and standard treatment but I want you to see a specialist for this. I am a general practitioner and usually in situations like this I would give you pain medication and a sling but professional speaking I don't think that will be enough."

"I thought a broken shoulder was something that healed fairly easily." Emily rubbed the side of her head that had a small cut and bruise from when she had fallen on it. Hanna made a comment about it matching the fading bruise on her eye when a nurse in the emergency room was treating it.

"It's not broken in one spot Miss Fields; that crack is another fracture and there as several parts of the bone that have detached. Surgery is required less than ten percent of the time but I don't want you let it heal over incorrectly. I'd rather you get it checked by a specialist now rather than later. We will put your shoulder into place and sling it today but if you are in an unnecessary pain at home I want you to come back here."

"So what about the specialist?"

"I'd like you to make an appointment to see one as soon as possible."

"And the dislocated part?" Hanna swallowed almost scared of what Jessica's answer was going to be.

"If you don't have a strong stomach then I'd strongly suggest you leaving while I get a nurse and some pain medicine."

"Em, I love you but I don't think I can watch that." Hanna swallowed deeply again after Jessica left the room.  
Emily wiped away some sweat that had developed across her forehead before looking at her very limp arm and shoulder that was causing her so much pain. She no longer cared about how the injury was going to heal she just wanted it to go back in; she would worry about the bone itself later.

"Its fine, Han."

"I'll get Spencer she can handle this stuff. She has to being the lawyer." Giving Emily a quick kiss on the head Hanna almost ran from the room and was replaced with Spencer within two minutes, not giving Emily any time to think.

"Hey." She said supportively as she sat next to Emily, letting the brunette's head rest on her shoulder.

"Thanks for staying with me. I think Hanna was going to scream more then I'm about to." Spencer laughed but she knew Emily was only repressing her pain with humour.

"That tall muscle dude is in the waiting room. He was talking to Toby about cars. I would have found it somewhat adorable if I had some sort of clue as to who the man actually was."

"He's Alison's body guard."

"Well, shouldn't he be... with her?" Spencer raised her eyebrows at Emily using only Alison's first name.

"I suppose but she's stubborn and he does what she says."

"Em... what's going on with you and her? We're all kind of worried about you. With the media reports and you disappearing after work and now this, we're in the dark and you know how much we hate it."

Spencer wasn't being bossy or intrusive but she was being a worried friend that did care about the person she cared about wellbeing.

"Spence I know, trust me I know. But... I can't tell you." Emily paused and stuttered through her entire sentence before luckily being interrupted by Jessica and the same young male nurse that had helped dressed the wound on her head.

The next twenty minutes were unbearable for both Emily and Spencer.  
Spencer had to watch as Jessica drugged Emily up to a point where she was drowsy and almost loopy. Laying her down they spent several long minutes pushing and pulling at Emily's arm, and Spencer could tell that she was trying with all her might not to cry and scream even after all the medication.  
Successfully putting her shoulder back in Jessica handed Spencer a prescription form for everything Emily would need to stay out of as much pain as possibly, she also provided her a name of a specialist that she would like Emily see.  
After another half an hour Emily had finally gotten to a state where she could walk, but she was still very loopy, Spencer would have found it hilarious if she hadn't just seen the leading up to it.

"Spence... I feel weird." Emily slurred as she and Spencer made their way back to the emergency room where their friends were waiting.  
Spencer had her hands full of X-rays and forms and a drugged up Emily, again something she would've laughed at if she wasn't feeling slightly sick from how roughly the nurse and doctor were with Emily.

"I know."

"Hey! You're a _lawyer_." Emily giggled as she limped and wobbled against the struggling Spencer.

"Not quite yet, but what's your question?"

"Would you sign a Non Disclosure Agreement?"

Spencer's head spot up and faced Emily who had put her finger over her lips in a "shush" motion but before she could question any further Hanna and Aria had made their way over to the struggling pair.

"Come on Emmy, let's get you home." Aria said softly as Emily let go of Spencer and almost leapt into the petite brunette's arms.  
Everyone walked back to their cars talking about the weather and making random conversation but Spencer dangled behind, her thoughts distracted with Emily's words and as her eyes fell upon the pitch black Ranger Rover not far from their own she quickly looked to Mason who was shaking Toby's hand, over hearing Toby say thank you for helping with Emily.  
As Mason walked away Spencer followed him, completely ignoring Toby as she went, which confused him but he saw her investigating eyes and he wasn't going to interrupt that.

"What is Alison DiLaurentis making Emily hide?" Spencer mumbled as she caught up with Mason, causing him to turn in surprise.

"I'm sorry?"

"If I find out Emily is hiding something just to protect that woman's reputation, I won't be happy."

"What makes you think she's hiding something?" Mason turns fully and crosses his arms curiously.

"Please, everyone's got something to hide."

"Mason? What's going on?" A soft but dominating voice breaks the silence from behind them. Moving to get a view of who the stranger was Spencer was met with the bright blue eyes of Alison DiLaurentis, over her head was her black hoodie, covering her identity.

"Ma'am, you can't be out here."

"I've been stuck inside that car for four hours; I'm coming to see Emily." Alison eyes didn't leave Spencer's in a Mexican standoff, one waiting for the other to break so they could strike but neither did.

"Alison?" Emily's voice travelled across the parking lot when she realised Spencer wasn't around, in her drugged up state she did forget how to control herself and it was obvious to Alison.  
Looking at the brunette and her arm in a sling made guilt and anger course through her, she shouldn't have let Emily play today, and she knew that what had happened was her fault.

"Hey isn't that Alison DiLaurentis?" A stranger screamed from somewhere out of view and within seconds Mason had grabbed Alison and pulled her into the car.  
Not giving Emily nor Spencer a second chance to say anything he turned the car on and drove away, there was no way Alison would be put in danger.

"Get her in the car." Spencer commanded when a few random people starting making their way into parking lot with their camera's and phones at the ready, trying to look for the superstar.

"Hey I think she went that way." Hanna lied as she pointed in a random direction and instantly the crowd evaporated. "See Spencer, it wasn't that hard."

"What happened?" Emily asked disappointed with a pouted expression as Spencer got into the passenger seat next to Hanna. Aria was in the back trying to put the brunette's seat belt before putting her own on.

"She had to go Em." Spencer mumbled as she rubbed her head in frustration.

"I wanted to see her." Emily elongated her words in a whinging tone as Aria delicately moved her supported arm out from under the bindings of the seat belt.

"Don't worry about it, you'll see her soon, there were just a lot of people around and she can't be seen otherwise she might get hurt." Aria looked towards the front at Spencer giving her a don't-be-so-judgemental look before rubbing Emily's head softly when it collapsed on her shoulder in exhaustion.

"Oh yeah, I don't want her hurt cause she's too special."

"Her body guard is taking care of her." Aria smiled when she noticed Emily's eyes shut. It was obvious whatever medication she was on was taking a toll.

"What was that look for earlier?" Spencer mumbled from the front about half way through the trip home when she was sure Emily was asleep.

"I think you forget that Alison DiLaurentis is quite famous Spencer. She can't just be walking around; you were acting like she was doing this to Emily on purpose."

"After everything with Paige, I'm not going to let anyone treat Emily the way she was treated. Just because she's famous doesn't mean she's not trouble. Look at the state Em is in."

"That wasn't her fault though." Aria didn't really know why she was defending Alison DiLaurentis because she didn't know her at all. In fact that was the first time she had ever seen the blonde in person.

"When they put her shoulder in, they told me they may have caused more breakage because of the force but they _needed_ to put it back."

Spencer watched as Aria's eyebrows rose in horror before lowering again when Hanna stopped the car down the road from Emily's apartment. Outside was a large crowd of several news crews and different reporters.

"Shit." Hanna mumbled and began turning her car around before anyone in the crowd realised they were there.

"What are we going to-" Spencer began but was interrupted by the dial tone of Hanna's mobile through the wireless setting in her car stereo.  
An unknown number popped up on the small screen causing Hanna's eyebrows to rise before answering.

"Uh, hello?" Hanna paused as she continued to drive along the main road of Rosewood.

"Meet me on the corner of the road to the lake." Alison DiLaurentis' voice broke through the car speakers, surprisingly not waking Emily.

"How did you get this number?" Spencer questioned, though she knew she wouldn't get an answer.

"She can't stay there, don't be late."

The line went dead and all three girls had very raised eyebrows, surprised by the bossiness of Alison DiLaurentis.  
Looking at Spencer and then to Aria Hanna shrugged her shoulders and decided to make her way to the lake.  
It had been years since she had been there but she still knew the way, it was where she went with her friends every summer.

"How do we know she's not tricking us?" Spencer crossed her arms and frowned childishly.

"Why would she trick us? Aria rolled her eyes at Spencer's suggestion but she couldn't help but somewhat agree with the tall brunette.  
They drove in silence for the rest of the drive, all thinking of what was in store for them, was it all really happening?  
Emily would occasionally stir in her slumber but never awoke.  
Eventually Hanna took the turn off the highway and onto the road to the lake, following it she waited for any sign of Alison DiLaurentis.  
Sure enough they were met with two dark cars park not far down the road, one she recognised as the Range Rover and the other looked like some sort of sports car. She didn't know the type but she wasn't really into that kind of stuff.

"She owns a Ferrari? Geez, that's clique." Spencer muttered when she made eye contact with the car. Hanna rolled her eyes before stopping the car not far behind the others and turned off the engine.

"Will you please cool your jets? You don't even know her; maybe the Ferrari is the body guard's car?" Hanna said as she took off her seatbelt. Spencer looked away from Hanna and towards the tinted windows of the cars; she supposed it was a possibility.

"I'm going to wait here, we can't leave her alone." Aria whispered from the back, Emily's head still securely on her shoulder.  
Spencer and Hanna nodded in unison before exiting the warm confinements of the vehicle. Shutting the doors they walked around to meet at the front, standing still they were afraid to move towards the mysterious black speed machines.  
The door to the Ferrari opened and Alison elegantly pulled her body from inside, proving to Hanna that Spencer was right, causing the brunette to give her an I-told-you-so look while pursing her lips.  
Alison walked towards Spencer and Hanna confidently, the hood however was still over her head and she now had on dark reflective sunglasses.

"Miss Hastings, Miss Marin." Alison nodded her head as she spoke before looking behind them to investigate further.

"Why are we here?" Spencer asked first, completely ignoring Alison's pleasantries.

"Emily can't stay in town, not with everything that's going on. She's not safe."

"And she's safe with you?" Spencer crossed her arms and had already managed to develop her bad attitude, Alison smiled at her confidence but found she wasn't in the mood; she just wanted to see Emily.

"What did I say about cooling your jets?" Hanna mumbled while rolling her eyes.

"I'm making sure Em doesn't get hurt again."

"Well what do you think she's offering?"

Alison watched as the two squabbled like four year olds, waiting patiently she looked back over at Hanna's car where she knew Emily was probably asleep from exhaustion.

"She will be safe with me." Alison interrupted when she became tired of listening to their banter.

"How can we trust you?" Hanna was the one to speak this time; she however didn't express the bad attitude Spencer did.

"Did she tell you Paige showed up at her apartment yesterday?" Alison quirked her eyebrow knowingly and watched Hanna and Spencer exchange a displeased look.

"No. She didn't."

"It's not my story to tell, but if my bodyguard Mason, and I hadn't gotten there..." Alison's thoughts trailed away to when she had found Emily, it was scary and she was still frightened for her and both Hanna and Spencer saw it in her eyes.  
Spencer wanted to confront Alison about what Emily had told her, about the Non Disclosure Agreement but not with Hanna around.

"I need to see her." Even Alison could hear the desperation in her voice but she wasn't ashamed to show it.  
When neither Hanna nor Spencer spoke Alison went to walk around them but Spencer moved in front of her defensively, causing tension to rise between them.

"Spence..." Hanna took Spencer's arm in a friendly manner before pulling her gently to the side, allowing Alison to pass.  
Not looking back Alison quickly made her way towards the vehicle, opening the door softly she was met with who she assumed to be Aria looking at her with surprised eyes.

"Miss Montgomery."Alison whispered but her eyes quickly fell on the sleeping Emily. She looked so peaceful, even with the amount of pain she would be experiencing.  
Uncontrollably Alison felt her hands move to her, she wanted to hold her and make everything bad that had happened today disappear, though the anger still lingered seeing the brunette safe was all that seemed to matter in that moment.

"Hey Em." Alison whispered and sighed together as she felt Emily's warm skin against her hands.

Aria watched as Alison rubbed Emily's forehead softly, she was mildly surprised to see a mega super star just somewhat casually leaning into the same car as her but as Emily began to wake up she seemed to forget about it.

"Alison?" Emily grumbled sleepily.

"Hey." Alison smiled happily.

"Are you mad at me?"

Even after almost half an hour of sleep it was still clear Emily was affected greatly by her new medication; her eyes were slightly red and looked very tired while the bruise on her head looked uncomfortably large.  
Alison looked between Aria and Emily, both eyes were on her and she could hear Spencer and Hanna walking to the car, she wasn't much for telling the girls how she felt, she just wanted Emily safe.

"I'm not mad at you." It wasn't a lie, Alison wasn't really mad at Emily, she was mad at the opposition soccer team for pushing her over, mad that there were no severe consequences but mostly she was mad at herself for not being able to do anything about it.

"I know when she's lying," Emily moved her head to face Aria and she giggled slightly. "And she's not lying."

"Well that's good then." Aria chuckled at how loopy Emily was, it was rather humorous to see her so loose and relaxed.

"Ma'am we have to go," Mason's voice came from behind her, when she turned she saw him standing between Spencer and Hanna, over towering both of them greatly. "We've been out here too long."

"Emily, can you stay here for a minute? I need to talk to your friends."

"Just my friends? Why can't I come?" Emily pouted childishly while Aria shrugged her shoulders at Spencer and Hanna as she got out of the car.

"Because you're very tired and need to do the least amount of moving as you can. Can you do that for me?" Alison's voice still had that demanding and controlling tone that Emily had grown accustom to, but in her medicated state there was no real self control.

"I suppose. What do I get in return?" She wiggled her eyes playfully, causing Alison to roll her eyes, Spencer and Hanna to raise the eyebrows in surprise and Aria to giggle quietly.

"Whatever you want." Alison murmured sweetly as she leaned in to kiss Emily lightly on the forehead.

"What if I don't stay?" Emily whispered so only Alison could hear.

"I might have to find my bathrobe tie again." Alison said smoothly before kissing Emily on the cheek and quickly shutting the door so the brunette couldn't say anything too loud that might embarrass either of them.

"How do we know we can trust you to take care of her?" Spencer questioned first.  
Mason took his place beside Alison and kept scanning the surrounding area. It was dead quiet on a Sunday afternoon but he was still alert.

"I give you my word; she will be safe and taken care of."

"That's not good enough." Spencer continued, Hanna and Aria looked between them and almost withered at the tension.

"If this is what Spencer is going to be like as a lawyer, make sure I don't break the law." Hanna whispered to Aria, causing the petite girl to laugh softly before drawing their attention back to Alison and Spencer.

"My house isn't far from here, I will tell you where if you let her come with me." Alison was confident with her offer but as soon as she spoke Mason quickly looked down at her and was ready to interject before she raised her hand to him, silencing him.

"No one actually knows where she lives here." Hanna said to Spencer and Aria, causing Mason to squirm uncomfortably as the girls spoke. "She must be serious, if she's willing to tell us that."

"Fine. If we think Em isn't being taken care of, you will see us at your doorstep." Spencer wasn't going to go to the media, but if Emily was hurt again then at least she would have some sort of information to make sure Alison would stay in line.

"Ma'am I seriously object to this." Mason blurted out.

"I trust them." Alison said sternly, not looking away from the three girls that stood in front of her.

"Okay, as long as you take care of her, I'm not fussed." Aria broke the silence and the tension between them and received a thankful smile from Alison.

"You know the old track that breaks from this road? I live down there; if you want to see Emily just follow that."

Alison turned and opened the car door again, surprised to have Emily almost jump into her arms.

"I thought that was a dead end." Hanna whispered to Spencer and Aria, who both nodded in agreement.

"Come on. You need rest." Alison giggled when Emily kissed her neck tiredly.

The next five minutes consisted of getting the wobbly Emily into the Ferrari. Spencer, Hanna and Aria watched while Mason and Alison struggled.  
They were all trying to suppress the snickers and giggles every time Emily said something inappropriate or slurred her words.

"Emily Fields, get in the car before I lose my temper." Alison laughed when Emily tried to hug her for the fourth time.

"That medication is strong." Hanna chuckled to Aria and Spencer.

"I'm kind of glad though, she's going to be in a lot of pain for a while." Spencer commented as she thought back to when they were putting the shoulder back into its socket.

"You're such a cranky pants." Emily stirred when Alison finally managed to get her in the car. Shutting the door she rolled her eyes and looked over to the other girls who all had amused expressions.

"Thank you." Alison said genuinely before getting in the car and starting the engine. Emily was quickly losing her energy from so much movement and Alison knew that the painkillers would be starting to lose their affect soon.

"Ali..." Emily mumbled from the passenger seat and she turned to face her.

"Yes?"

"Can I call you Ali?" She said, for the first time her words didn't seem tired or slurred, it was like a switch had flicked and Emily was serious again.

"Yes you can." Alison laughed before looking in the rear view mirror at Spencer, Hanna and Aria. Their arms were all crossed and waiting for Alison to go, Mason had left a few minutes before and was probably already back at her house.  
Driving away she felt Emily's hand move to her leg and start playing with the fabric.

"I think my friends liked you." Emily finally spoke again when Alison pulled the car up in the garage; Mason was waiting by the Range Rover.  
Alison laughed before getting out of the car and walking to him.

"Why did you tell them?" Mason's tone was angry but he was trying desperately hard to hide it.

"They were going to follow us regardless Mason, I may as well give them the location out of good faith and make honest woman out of all of us."

"And what if they go to the media?"

"That is a risk I am willing to make for Emily. They knew just as much as we did that she would be safer with me."

Before Mason could speak further the sound of Emily's door opening echoed through the garage. She tried to undo her seat belt with her good arm but was unsuccessful, causing Alison to smile and move to help her.

"I'm sorry about how stupid and silly I've been. It's the medication." She mumbled when Alison helped her out of the car.  
Heading upstairs and into the house Alison guiding the limping tired Emily into the living room, sitting her on the large lounge that spread across the one wall.

"You're not any of those things. It's kind of funny to watch though."

"I'm sorry." She repeated, looking embarrassed.

"Don't be. Wait here, I'm going to get you some blankets but I've got to talk to Mason first." Emily nodded and made herself comfortable in the lounge, it was soft and warm and very soothing to sit in.  
Alison smiled and walked over to Mason who still had an unimpressed look on his face.

"Thank you for today." Alison said when he handed her Emily's X-rays, forms and medication. Mason almost jumped at Alison's gratitude but he still couldn't shake the unsettling feeling in his stomach about the three girls knowing her location.

"Just doing my job."

"I do appreciate it. Now that will be all for today. Go home and see your wife."

Mason did a lot of travelling because of Alison but wherever he went his wife went too. It was hard because she did a lot of moving and meeting new people just to move again, he knew it was hard on her but it was his part of his job.

"Thank you Miss DiLaurentis." Mason turned around and left without another word. Alison smiled to herself as she walked into the hallway and to cupboard to bring out some warm duvets, walking back to the lounge room she found Emily messing around with the channels on the television trying to find something interesting to watch.

"I have Netflix; I find I never watch actual television."

"That's because actual television consist of mostly you."

"Funny." Alison said sarcastically before grabbing the remote from Emily and throwing it to the side. Covering the brunette with a thick blanket Alison made herself comfortable before tucking the item securely around them.

"You are mad, aren't you?" Emily could feel her medication losing its affect, mainly because she hadn't taken any sense they put her shoulder back in and that was only a temporary sedative. She was supposed to take her prescriptions when the pain was becoming unbearable again.  
Alison sighed, realising as well that it would soon be time for the brunette to take more pills to relax her again.

"I am mad." She sighed honestly.

"You said you weren't in the car." Emily wanted to grab Alison's hands underneath the blankets but she felt that it would upset the blonde further, considering she wasn't even looking at her.

"I'm not mad at you Em, I'm mad at that bitch that pushed you. And you can't say it was an accident because it wasn't."

"I know it wasn't." Emily mumbled shyly.

"Why did you keep playing? It was obvious she was trouble."

"I don't want to fight Alison." She rubbed her head when she felt like she was already gathering a new headache, she was feeling sore and weak and fighting with Alison was definitely something she didn't want to do.

"Look at you Emily, you are practically beaten up. I sat in that car and watched that woman push your body to the ground. I watched as you fell with _that_ much pressure I swear I could hear your bones breaking from inside the car. And what was worse, was I couldn't do anything. I didn't know what had happened, I thought the worse."

Alison sat on the lounge looking straight ahead, feeling that her weakness would be to look at Emily and cave from the look in her beautiful eyes.

"Ali..." Emily said as she raised her uninjured hand to touch Alison's cheek, soothing the skin slightly when she made contact and making the blonde turn around to face her. "I'm safe."

She said reassuringly but Alison wasn't convinced, she knew she needed more than that. Quickly but gently she moved to straddle the startled brunette, holding her cheeks softly Alison put her forehead against Emily's and let her lips dangle close by.

"You could have been hurt so much worse Emily and it would've been my fault."

"It wasn't your fault." Emily said confidently as her left hand went to Alison's cheek.

"Emily-" Before Alison could continue Emily closed the distance between them and kissed her passionately.

"I don't care what happens Alison. I want you. That much, I know. But I can't stand the thought of you being mad at me."

"Emily, I'm not mad. It was just awful sitting there waiting. Mason had to stop me from running to you. I would have been by your side in a heartbeat."

Moving in close again they kissed, it was soft and passionate but the fire lingered deep in their stomachs when their tongues met, fighting each other for dominance but before either could continue Alison felt Emily wince when she leant too close to her supported arm.

"I think you need to take your medication." Alison stood from the lounge and collected everything that was needed before handing it to Emily and sitting back down.

"This stuff makes me loopy." Emily whinged before grabbing the glass of water Alison had gotten her.

"It is quite funny." Alison chuckled. "And you seemed to like the idea of my bathrobe string."

"Oh god." Emily rubbed her head before taking the tablets.

"I'm glad you liked it." She whispered as she leant into Emily's ear then kissed her neck.

"You don't play fair."

"Never have."

Alison smiled before making space for Emily to lay down with her head resting on her lap. Putting the television back on she flicked to a random channel and watched as Emily slowly fell asleep.  
The large bruising that surrounded her shoulder looked like it had grown in size, Mason had manage to get a photo of it to show her but since then it looked like it had doubled.  
Alison didn't know what was in store for Emily over the next few months but she knew that it would consist of mostly pain.  
Realising Emily was now asleep she leant down and kissed her lightly on the lips before rubbing her head softly. Looking down she knew that Emily was important to her, she had only known her for just under four days and it was definitely an interesting four days. She could feel herself changing.

"What are you doing to me, Emily Fields?" She whispered when Emily slowly moved into her hold.

 **Hey everyone! So I got an excellent response from last chapter and that just made me feel so awesome. I am so glad everyone is enjoying it, sorry about the last little note – I just didn't know what everyone was thinking about the story.  
I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who left a review – I do appreciate it.  
Let me know if you have any ideas, I've already started incorporating some into the story line so for the people who have given me some suggestions don't think I've ignored them :)  
Thanks guys**

 **-Aemstar**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Emily was walking throughout the rooms of the house, picking up random items that lay around that were creating a cluttered mess.  
It was almost six in the evening and the dinner she was preparing was sitting in the oven waiting to hit its ultimate temperature. She had been waiting for almost half an hour for the food to cook that she grew impatient and busied her mind with other chores, hence the cleaning.  
The sudden smell of an unpleasant burning came from the kitchen causing her to break from her inner thoughts as she realised that she had left the meatloaf in for too long.  
Swearing, she ran to the oven and turned it off.  
Opening the door a dark cloud of thick smoke came rushing out as it escaped its fiery confinements, swearing again she put an oven glove on and pulled out the now black food.  
Before she could think of a way to save the inevitably dead food, the front door flung open and _her_ voice came crashing in, creating a thick layer of sweat to quickly gather across Emily's forehead.

"You seriously burnt dinner, Emily? How hard is it to cook some fucking food?" Paige's question was clearly rhetorical but it still caused a justification to fall uncontrollably from Emily's lips.

"I just got busy cleaning." Her voice was timid and scared and she couldn't help but bow her head in a mixture of embarrassment and fear.  
Paige sensed her weakness and slammed the door behind her while throwing her bag across the room causing a loud crash to follow.

"When I get home from work I expect dinner to be ready and on the table. Not still in the kitchen and burnt." Paige closed some distance between them before looking over to the meatloaf that was still steaming heavily.

"I had to work today too." Emily whispered.

"Yeah but _you're_ work doesn't pay for _my_ apartment and the food you just ruined."

"It was an accident Paige." Emily took a step backwards when Paige tried closing the distance again.

"An accident?"

"Yes and _my_ job pay for _my_ apartment. You're not the only one who has bills." Emily wasn't sure where her confidence had come from but instantly she regretted being so bold when Paige's eyes darkened.

"What gives you the right to talk to me like that?" Paige growled as she backed Emily into the corner of the kitchen.

"Paige..." She whispered, feeling trapped as the taller brunette's hands went either side of her, leaving no room for escape.

"What? I don't even get a kiss hello?" Paige's tone changed dramatically and her hand went to move a strand of Emily's hair that had fallen across her face. The action was manipulating and she watched, feeling triumphant, as Emily questioned herself again, not understanding if she was mad or not.  
As Emily looked deep in Paige's eye's she could only find softness, the softness that she had fallen in love with and it was confusing her and Paige _loved_ the confusion she was creating.  
Leaning in Paige went to kiss her but moving slightly Emily only allowed access to her cheek, which displeased her greatly.

"I got a call from that college scout today. He wants me to try out for their program; he said I need to show more of a commitment though." Paige changed the subject completely and watched as Emily struggled to keep up with her mood.

"How much more commitment does he want? You've done pretty much everything he's asked."

"He wants me to move there so I can train with the team."

"Move?" Emily swallowed at the thought of leaving the comforts of Rosewood, having lived there her whole life made it so much harder to even think of leaving.

"Yeah. I'm organising to rent an apartment and we can move up there in a few months."

"Paige... I can't just leave." Emily's voice was soft in comparison to Paige's excited tone but she was never going to get up and leave.

"Don't you just want to leave this miserable place Emily? This is our chance!" Paige moved away from her and walked around with excitement, obliviously to what Emily was actually telling her.

"I don't want to go." Emily mumbled when Paige focused her attention again.

"What?"

"I don't want to move."

"Is that right?" She said walking back towards Emily, her arms crossing as she moved. Stopping mere inches away her dominating eyes burnt holes in the chocolate brown ones that looked innocently terrified back.  
In an uncontrolled anger Paige grabbed Emily tightly by her arms and pushed her roughly against the counter, her fingers clutching tightly as she pressed her body against the terrified brunette's.

"You're moving with me Emily." Paige whispered in a dominating manner but Emily couldn't respond. This was always what Paige did, lose her temper and then calm down and begin apologising but this time she only held tighter and made no room for Emily to even attempt an escape.  
Emily had decided then and there she had enough of this rollercoaster of emotions. Spencer, Hanna and Aria were right; she didn't deserve the trouble Paige gave her.

"No, I'm not." Emily said confidently before pushing Paige away, not hard but just enough to get away but before she could move to make some distance between her and the angered brunette Paige quickly grabbed her wrist and struck her across her face.  
Emily fell to the ground, not because of the force but because of the shock. Paige had never actually hit her before; there was the occasional push but nothing she couldn't handle.  
This however, was something she couldn't handle.  
Seconds later Paige was straddling her and holding her arms tight above her head and Emily could feel the panic in her breath as it shortened.

Feeling her head spin slightly Emily opened her eyes and gasped for air simultaneously as she jolted up from her sleep.  
The piercing sensation of her broken shoulder burnt through her body as she lifted up her body up from Alison's lap.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. You're okay." Alison said comfortingly before wiping away the sweat that lined Emily's forehead.

Alison had spent most of the afternoon making sure Emily was relatively out of pain. Though she had spent a solid three hours asleep Alison was sure the brunette could sleep for another six without hesitation.  
As time passed Alison watched as Emily began tossing in her sleep, she was grunting softly and moving her head from side to side. Occasionally she thought she could hear her name being called and Paige's as well, which only concerned her.  
Seconds later Emily almost screamed and jerked awake, causing a noticeably awful pain to fly up her arm into her shoulder.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. You're okay." She said quickly as her hands went to the sweaty cheeks and forehead of the startled brunette.

"It was just a dream. You're alright." Alison murmured soothingly when Emily's breathing didn't slow down. "What happened?"

"Nothing." She stuttered, wiping away the sweat that covered pretty much every inch of her body. Alison was unconvinced by the terrible lie but chose not to be offended.

"You were talking in your sleep." She pointed out matter-of-factly, catching Emily in her lie. Emily rolled her eyes before sitting up from Alison's lap in an attempt to catch her breath.

"It was just a nightmare. It's nothing important."

"About Paige?"

A silence filled the room as Emily played aimlessly with the bindings of her shoulder, the dream felt so real like she had actually relived the whole experience. She didn't feel like talking about it but she was sure she would have to eventually, and she trusted Alison.

"Yeah." She replied softly, she was too afraid to look at Alison directly but the blonde took control and gently held her hand, causing some relief to flow through her.

"What happened?"

"It was the night we broke up." Emily's hand tightened around Alison's and began playing with the surface of her skin as she thought back to that day.

"Can you tell me about it?" Her voice was soft and comforting, and she could feel Emily's head slowly fall against her shoulder before sighing.  
They sat there for a long time as she retold every detail of the night she finally broke it off with Paige, Alison sat there quiet the whole time as she watched tears develop in Emily's eyes.  
Each time one fell she would wipe it away in an attempt to remain strong but she knew Alison saw through it.

"It feels like a lifetime ago. But it's been less than two weeks." Emily finished her story and looked up at Alison, whose eyes were watching her protectively.

"Why did you say my name?" She couldn't help but ask the question, it had been lingering in the back of her mind for some time.

"I'm not sure; I guess I was thinking of you." Emily blushed as Alison's eyes twinkled with happiness.

"All positive I hope?" She giggled in response.

"Always positive." Emily would've smiled if her thoughts were distracted with her nightmare. The thought of Paige still consuming the depths of her dreams troubled her, she thought she would be over it once she cut Paige out but it seemed it wasn't that easy.  
Noticing Emily's struggle Alison quickly changed topics and subtly moved to straddle the bewildered Emily.

"What are you doing?" Emily smiled softly when her eyes averted her gaze back to Alison, whose hands made landing on her cheeks carefully.

"I have to go out for a table read at work. It's a little late for a Sunday but they want to shoot the scene tomorrow. They called me when you were asleep, I need to go. Will you please stay here while I'm gone?"

"I'll stay." Emily let her lips inch slightly to the side to make small contact with Alison's palms, giving her some comfort she didn't know she was seeking. "How long will you be?"

"A few hours at least, I'm thinking we will get distracted and gossip for most of the time."

"Gossip?" Emily chuckled at the thought.

"Yes, surprising note, us celebrities are humans too." Alison stuck her tongue out childishly before pulling Emily in for a chaste kiss.

"Human? Really, I had no idea." She whispered sarcastically before winking playfully.

Alison had been gone for less than ten minutes and Emily found herself getting bored, the house was too big for her personal liking and she was too sore to investigate its every room.  
Before she had left Alison had accompanied the brunette to her bedroom, insisting it would be a good place to accommodate considering her condition and Emily was starting to agree.  
The pain in her shoulder was returning, and fast.  
After taking more pain killers she then moved on to entertainment, though she was sure the drugs would throw her into a deep slumber soon enough.  
Alison had set up her television in her room that sat on the wall that faced the bed, it apparently was set up with Itunes and Netflix so there was a selection of movies and TV series to enjoy, Emily however spent almost five minutes trying to figure out how to access the luxuries.  
When she was successful she stuck with the channel that she understood, which she thought was Netflix. As she flicked through the different options of movies a small picture of Alison and another young man were in a romantic hold popped up but before she could read the title she was interrupted by the sound of her phone buzzing on the bedside table.  
Reaching it she quickly answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey Em, it's all of us." Spencer's voice echoed through the phone as the clear background noise of loudspeaker ran through Emily's end of the phone.  
Hanna and Aria's voice soon followed with a happy hello before they waited for Emily to speak.

"Hey guys, what's going on?"

"Not much, we were just calling to see how you were doing?" Aria's sweet tone was noticeable even through the static.

"Yeah, is Alison taking care of you?" Spencer commented warily.

"Yes Spence, she is. She's just out at the moment doing something for the movie she's working on." There was a brief moment of silence in which Emily was sure she could hear someone slapping someone else on the other end, she assumed it was Spencer who was slapped when she groaned unhappily, the smartest of the friends no doubt had something witty to say that the other two were expecting.

"So what are you doing then?" Hanna broke the silence and Emily looked up at the television screen where the photo of Alison and the other unknown actor sat teasingly in front of her.

"I was going to watch a movie."

" _Oh_ which one?" Hanna chimed quickly and Emily looked at the screen once again, it had a five star rating and it seemed like it was a popular film, considering it was in the top ten most popular lists on the Netflix menu.

"Um... what's _A Night To Remember_ like?" She read the title slowly as if it would create some more sense but she figured it was pretty self explanatory.

"Oh my god! I _love_ that movie!" Hanna squealed.

"Isn't that a movie Alison is - ouch will you stop that?" Spencer began before obviously being interrupted with another slap.

"Yes, Alison is in it, do you think I should watch her movies? And is it bad that I haven't?" Many questions ran through Emily's mind and it only reminded her that she really didn't know a whole lot about the blonde and what she did know she couldn't reveal to anybody.

"Do you want to watch it?" Aria sat between Spencer and Hanna who were on completely separate sides of the table in terms of opinion.

"I guess I would like to see what the fuss is about."

"She is talented Em, I'll give her that."

"Hey, I thought you two were going home today?" Emily's mind broke away when she realised what the time was.

"We extended our stay for another day," Spencer began. "We need to meet up and talk properly before we go."

"Okay, well when?" Emily raised her eyebrows curiously but didn't think too much further since she really hadn't seen Spencer or Aria for a decent amount of time.

"Eleven tomorrow, at The Brew?" Hanna offered and Emily agreed, thinking momentarily she would have to ask Alison first but then decided against it.

"Okay we will see you then. Now go watch that awesome movie!" Hanna squealed again before they all said their goodbyes and Emily hung up the phone.

The next ten minutes consisted of Emily starring indecisively at the television, but after several inner battles with her own thoughts she pressed play and sat back into the bed, making herself comfortable.  
A few shots of random scenery was the introduction with Alison's voice narrating in the background, explaining that this was her story of how she moved to a new town and met a boy and how everything changed once they crossed paths at a party one night.  
The movie was decent, the story was good, the acting was brilliant on Alison's behalf and Emily was enjoying it up until a scene went to Alison and the other main opposite sharing a sweet kiss, in the rain.  
At first the scene was not heading in that direction, they were arguing about their parents not letting them be together, how they were no good for each other and then suddenly his hands were on her cheeks and he was pulling her close.  
It was romantic and sweet and yet Emily felt her insides curl in jealousy, she didn't understand why though. It was just a movie, it was Alison's job. And it was just a kiss.  
At first it was just a kiss.  
A cut scene went to a love scene, though Emily knew it was acting the passion Alison displayed was something she felt no one could just act.  
Clearing her throat when Alison's naked back came into view she suddenly felt invasive and looked away, she couldn't keep watching it but at the same time she couldn't look away.  
This was what Alison did, she was an amazing actress and one love scene wasn't going to make her jealous...  
The movie continued for another half an hour, the two were driving to a family occasion when they had finally managed to get them to be accepting when a drunk driver hit their car.  
The boy was the one who was driving and the car had hit the passenger side, so he left the accident with only minor injuries while Alison was almost killed, sending the story from its romantic line straight to drama and tragedy.  
It was drawing tears to Emily's eyes when Alison lay almost lifeless in the hospital bed, it seemed so realistic.  
The boy sat by her side and begged for forgiveness but with her last breath Alison said it wasn't his fault, she also said "I love you" and they shared a small kiss before the heart rate monitor made a long beeping sound indicating she had died.  
Emily couldn't help the tears fall, she was not expecting the movie to take such a turn and seeing such drama around Alison made her feel protective. Even if it was just a story.  
After wiping away the tears and laughing at herself for crying she exited the movie and on the screen popped up recommendations related to the movie, which were just more films with Alison in them.  
Exiting to the main menu Emily could feel the medication begin to take its affect, however not feeling tired enough to sleep she found a completely different movie without Alison in it to try and keep her mind busy.  
It didn't work.  
After two movies had played completely through Emily still found her thoughts on the blonde and the love scene from _A Night To Remember._

"Hey killer." She heard from the bedroom door, snapping from her inner turmoil Emily looked over to Alison who had a small smile on her face that quickly changed to concern when she realised she looked distracted. "What's wrong?"

"You're a really good actress." Emily murmured and Alison looked towards the television where a film poster took up most of the screen.

"Well thanks, but I wasn't in that one." She chuckled before throwing her motorbike jacket onto its usual chair and her helmet on the desk.

"I watched _A Night To Remember_. You're really good Ali."

"You know, I really like when you call me that." Alison quickly made her way to Emily and straddled her before making herself comfortable on her lap with her arms crossed innocently on her own lap.

"You're getting distracted." Emily pointed out.

"It's just a movie Emily." She smiled innocently.

"It's really sad."

"It is." She agreed, letting her hands slowly make their way to Emily's waist. "It was based on a true story."

"Really? Do you know who it was based around?" Emily asked curiously at Alison's reveal and it seemed like the blonde took a second too long to answer but she was sure she was just picking.

"No." It was short and blunt but with a genuine smile, confusing Emily but she let her thoughts continue their path.

"And... that scene..."

"The sex scene?" Alison was still blunt, she was confident about this conversation and she knew she would have to have it with Emily eventually.  
Clearing her throat with embarrassment Emily nodded and looked down at Alison's roaming hands.

"I was acting."

"It just seemed so real." Emily's voice was soft and low, she felt embarrassed for even feeling jealous but Alison seemed understanding about the topic.

"It means James and I did our job well."

"James?" Emily finally looked away from the blonde's hands and at her bright blue eyes.

"He was the other main, he's cool, I've known him for a few years but it was the first movie we did together."

"So... he saw you... naked?"

"Relatively, we weren't actually fully naked." Alison smiled at Emily's curiosity and leant in to kiss her forehead comfortingly. Sighing, unconvinced Emily looked back down at her hands but Alison quickly slipped her fingers under her chin and lifted her head up.

"Em, you need to understand, in this career there are a few out there things that require me to have a lot of confidence with my body and with myself as a person but I'll tell you a secret, I was not always like this, I was very shy and didn't have a lot of confidence about anything but when I did acting, it all changed."

"Changed?"

"Things happened that changed me and how I looked at the world. I figured out that confidence is the key if you want to survive."

"What things?" Emily looked at Alison carefully, like the blonde was trying to tell her something without actually voicing it.

"Oh no that's two secrets for you; first you tell me something about _yourself_. Something no one else knows."

"Something no one else knows? I don't think I have anything that's worth telling."

"I doubt that very much." Alison's eyebrow lifted curiously and in the most seductive manner, her lips curled into a chaste but sexy smirk that made Emily's cheeks burn a bright red.  
A loud fumble of the knob moving about interrupted them and as they both looked to investigate they were met with Derek making his way into the room.

"Why do I even bother having a door?" Alison rolled her eyes before slowly getting up from Emily's lap, hoping the slower she went the less she would hurt her but also display to Derek how displeased she was with the interruption.

"Don't be dramatic. I see you favour that position though." Derek made his way into the room and made himself comfortable on the desk chair.

"That's wildly inappropriate." Alison muttered, reminding Derek his place as she handed Emily the pain killers that had been sitting on the bed side table.  
Emily hadn't really noticed the pain, maybe it was that she was becoming used to it or that she was too focused on Alison or she was still under the previous doses effect, regardless she shook her head in gratitude before looking back at Derek who obviously had something on his mind.  
Alison smiled simply before placing the small bottle back on the table and then resumed her conversation with Derek while crossing her arms and legs in unison.

"You'll be fine. I thought you'd be delighted to know that I managed to keep the press off this whole ordeal." He shook his hand between the pair before brushing some dust of his coat smugly.

"So they don't know about the trouble on the soccer field?" Alison questioned, not really understanding Derek's comment.

"Oh no, videos and photos of _that_ are all over the internet, even of Emily in the hospital but I meant I kept _you_ out of the drama."

"You're saying that like it's a good thing." Emily finally spoke directly to Derek, feeling frustrated with his happy tone at her misfortune.

"Well..." He stuttered, obviously being startled by her confidence. "It just means the drama's away from Alison."

"Derek, I can handle drama. Have we not been over this?"

"I don't think you understand how hard it is to get rid of such trouble Alison, I don't want you to go through another scandal. It was hard enough last time."

"Last time?" Emily broke the two from their squabbling and looked at Alison who had a conflicted looked on her face.

"It's nothing." Alison brushed it aside before staring daggers at Derek who threw his hands up defensively.

"Hey, _you're_ the one who said she was special, I thought she knew."

"Knew what, Alison?" Emily could feel the frustration boil angrily within her when neither Alison nor Derek said anything.

"I need you to leave Derek."

Moments later Alison was pushing Derek out the door and was met with the dominating gaze of Emily's dark chocolate brown orbs starring straight at her.

"Knew what, Alison?" She repeated as she slowly limped her way from the bed to Alison, closing the distance between them.  
Alison could feel the sweat develop across her forehead, it was the first time she couldn't answer a question and she was really stuck.  
The last twenty minutes did not head in the direction she was expecting that was for sure.

"I can't tell you Emily." She said softly.

"Why not?" She would've crossed her arms to make a point if one of them wasn't strapped securely to her body for support.

"You haven't signed-" Stopping herself Alison moved away from Emily, being close to her clouded her mind. She wanted to tell the truth but she couldn't, could she?

"Really? You don't trust me enough the keep your secrets?"

"It's not like that Emily and you know it." Alison turned back to face her and rubbed her head in frustration.

"I told you I would sign it." Emily said defensively.

"I know, I know... but I don't want you to. I don't want my relationship with you to be like that."

"But if I don't sign it, you won't tell me?"

Alison stood at the other end of the room, trying to contemplate what to say. Her words were a walking contradiction and she didn't know how to resolve them.  
Emily had an excellent point; if she trusted her enough to not worry about the Non Disclosure Agreement then she could trust her with anything, right?

"I just... need time." Her voice was cracking and she could feel tears threatening to dwell in the back of her eyes but she sniffed them away, willing them to not reveal a single weakness.  
Emily's body subconsciously withdrew from its growing anger when Alison withered slightly from her temper, sighing in defeat she commanded her body to calm and closed the distance between them.

"If time is what you need, time is what I will give you." Emily said softly when she wrapped her capable arm around Alison's waist.

"You're not mad?" She looked up into Emily's warm eyes and felt her heart skip a beat at her beauty before focusing her attention back to the subject.

"I wouldn't think you'd be bothered if I was, you're always confident remember?"

"There's something about you that makes me feel... different." Alison replied shyly, looking down once again.

"I'm not mad, Ali." Tilting her head to grab Alison's eyes Emily lightly kissed the blonde's nose before smiling.

"I've got all the time in the world to wait until you're ready to tell me."

They shared a moment of silence, enjoying the seconds that passed as Alison moved into the embrace leaning against Emily's chest.

"Thanks Em." She whispered into the slowly rising and falling warm skin that was Emily's chest, and she could feel a tear uncontrollably slip from her eye but it wasn't a sad tear.  
It was a tear of happiness.

 **Hey guys, now just to clarify here, I don't mind Paige's character in the show Pretty Little Liars, I'm not trying to pick on the Paily fandom or anything (to each their own I say) I just felt like she was good for the role and I kept going with it. But also (obviously) I'm an Emison shipper so... #EmisonIsEndGame.**

 **Also, I wanted to apologise about the late update, I've been really sick the last couple of weeks and I'm still trying to recover. I'm really thankful for all the lovely reviews and I'm getting some great ideas! – Which I just love!  
** _ **Please**_ **be patient, I'm really struggling at the moment and to be honest I'm not coping well at all, I do try and let fanfic be my outlet but it's been hard to find time when I feel so sick.  
So again, I really am sorry for how long it's been but I so appreciate the reviews and the ideas :) it's so awesome! Thanks guys x**

 **-Aemstar**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Emily sat in the back seat of the Range Rover as Mason drove steadily through the morning traffic. Though it was passed the rush hour period she felt strange for not going into work, but with her shoulder injury there was no way she could. Bill was pretty easy about it when she had called him earlier that morning, insisting she'd take as much time as she needed and to let him know if he could help at all.  
Alison had left fairly early to get to her movie set and had decided that if Emily was to go out for coffee then Mason would not be far.  
So there they were, making a turn onto the highway and heading into town.  
Mason was quiet and the hum of the car wasn't loud enough to blur out her thoughts, looking from the window to the front seat she somehow managed to muster up some vocal chords.

"Mason..." Her voice cracked causing her throat to subconsciously clear itself.

"Yes Miss Fields?" She twitched slightly at his formality. "I mean... Yes Emily?" He corrected quickly.

"Why are you always so quiet?"

"Miss DiLaurentis prefers silence."

"Why?"

"Her life consists of nothing but constant noise and crowds, a few moments of silence is cherished for her."

Emily sat silent for a few minutes and immediately understood, it seemed so logical but it still didn't explain why Alison wouldn't trust her.

"If I may speak boldly?" He titled his head to look at the rear view mirror for Emily's permission to continue, she gave him a wary nod. "She cherishes you."

"I feel like she doesn't trust me."

"Trust isn't easily done for her."

"But why?" Emily watched as Mason twitched slightly, knowing he had over spoken.

"She trusts you more than you think." He recovered quickly before pulling his car down the road from The Brew, the small coffee shop was in plain sight for him to watch Emily from a distance which Alison had ordered him to.  
Sighing, Emily knew the conversation was over and went to exit the car.

"Don't forget you have that appointment to see the specialist at one."

"That's not a lot of time to catch up with the girls." Emily hadn't booked the appointment; Alison had, and insisted she'd see someone she knew. Knowing full well that Alison had booked the appointment at that time was to minimise the time spent in public.

"You're only having coffee, how much time do you need?" Mason shared a small chuckle with Emily before they both looked over at the coffee shop.

"You've clearly never met Spencer."

"Oh I've met Miss Hastings, the lawyer correct?" Mason smiled at the recollection of Spencer and her confidence in the hospital parking lot, causing Emily to raise an eyebrow, since during the incident she was highly sedated with medication.

"Yeah, well she lives off caffeine."

"Most lawyers do, now go or you won't get any time at all with them."

Emily said her thanks and goodbyes before turning to make her way to The Brew.  
She hadn't realised until just then how relaxed Mason seemed around her now, she was grateful because she really couldn't stand the formalities of both him and Alison combined.  
Walking down the footpath she kept her head down as the unusually bright sun revealed to the general public her identity.  
She was finding it particularly hard to drift between the reality that was Alison and the reality of her "normal life", everyone saw her as the fifteen minutes of fame or the girl who got beaten up on the soccer field.  
As a group of teenagers that were ditching school barged passed her they all made no attempt to move or hide the fact that they were talking about her.  
Trying to avoid them so she wouldn't hurt her arm she continued to ignore the stares and glares.

"Hey Em." Hanna was the first to greet her when she made her way into the relatively quiet coffee shop. The three girls were already sitting at a table in the far back, obviously trying to keep to themselves.  
Each had a mug in their hand and had made themselves comfortable on their own chairs. Aria took up the only lounge but moved when Emily made her way over.

"Hey guys." She replied warily when she noticed she had walked in a conversation she had no doubt was about her.

"How are you feeling?" Aria asked first when Emily made herself comfortable on the lounge next to her.

"Sore and tired." She replied, looking down at her arm while playing with a loose thread from the bindings that held her arm tightly against her shoulder.

"When are you going to see the specialist?" Spencer interjected.

"One o'clock."

"Today?"

"Um, yeah." She watched as Spencer, Hanna and Aria shared a concerned look.

"Em, that's less than two hours with you."

"I know Spence, I know." Her voice was mixed with frustration and sympathy as she understood her friend's annoyance with the situation.

"Why did you book the appointment so close with our hang out?" Spencer's question was laced with curiosity as she watched Emily stumble for an answer. When she remained silence for a second too long the three friends exchanged another look of concern.

"Em?" Hanna raised her eyebrows inquisitively at her.

"Alison kind of... booked it." She said softly. There was a long silence in which all three girls took a large sip from their drinks; Aria looked between Spencer and Hanna who both had displeased expressions.

"I need a refill, Han come with so I can get Em one." Aria knew Spencer had something to say to Emily but she'd rather not have all three of them talking to her just in case it came across as an attack.  
Without another word Hanna stood and followed Aria to the counter to order their coffee's, giving Emily a chance to look over at Spencer with a curious expression.

"How long are you going to give Alison grief for exactly?" Emily questioned quickly before Spencer could speak.

"May I remind you that you've known her for less than a week?"

"So? When you first met Toby you thought he was a freak."

"That is so different on so many levels." Spencer defended quickly.

"How Spencer?"

"You know how."

They sat in another silence for a long moment, in which they both looked over at Hanna and Aria who seemed oblivious to the argument that was unfolding.

"I didn't come here to fight with you." Emily sighed when she made eye contact with Spencer again.

"Have you signed the Non Disclosure Agreement yet?" She asked suddenly ignoring Emily's peaceful statement. She looked up rapidly, unaware that Spencer was aware of the agreement.

"When did I...?"

"When we were leaving the hospital, you were a little loopy. You asked me if I would sign one so technically you didn't ask me about it, I just connected the dots." Spencer spoke matter-of-factly before crossing her legs almost smugly.

"Do the others know?"

"No, I haven't told them, yet." She murmured quirking an eyebrow.

"You can't tell them Spencer; I wasn't supposed to tell you." Her voice was silked with worry and Spencer noticed instantly.

"I will be your lawyer then." She said simply.

"What?"

"I will read the agreement; no doubt she had paperwork ready for you?" Spencer paused waiting for Emily's response, nodding shyly she continued. "I will read it and tell if it's worth it."

"Spencer, it's not about her being worth it, I would sign it straight away just so I could be with her."

"Then what's the problem?" Spencer was confused; if Emily was willing to sign the paperwork she didn't understand what the brunette was troubled with.

"She doesn't want me to sign it."

"Then why did she bring it up in the first place?"

"Bring what up?" Hanna's voice broke both Spencer and Emily from the conversation, making them jump slightly at her sudden presence.  
Sitting back down Aria handed Emily a coffee while Hanna gave Spencer one, they sat in silence and waited for the brunette to think of something to say.

"Um..."

"Em was just telling me about work, boring really." Spencer recovered quickly for the stunned brunette who sat back in her chair sighing in relief.

"Speaking of which, when are you coming back? Bill said you were taking some leave for recovery."

"I called him this morning and told him what happened; he was good about it and said I could take a few weeks to get myself together."

"Well that was generous of him." Hanna smiled before slipping at her coffee. Spencer and Emily exchanged a secondary look before avoiding each other's eyes completely and began making small talk with the other two girls who were aware of the tension in the atmosphere.

"So Spence, did you tell Emily the good news?" Aria tried to ignore the unsettling tension by smiling her usual innocent smile.

"No, I was just getting to that though."

"What good news?" Emily mused when she looked between her friends.

"I got an internship at a lawyers firm in Phillie, I'm moving there in a couple of weeks."

"Spencer that's amazing! Why didn't you tell me before?" Emily suddenly forgot about the issues that seemed to linger between her and Spencer and instead replaced her worried exterior with happiness.

"It's been a little crazy this weekend. I only just _officially_ found out yesterday but that's why Aria and I stayed back an extra day, to tell you."

Spencer continued revealing the details of the next few weeks and what was to come for over an hour, Emily was just happy to have the attention off her really. Though she was happy for Spencer she knew the brunette had secrets in the back of her mind, she knew about the Non Disclosure Agreement and she was afraid Alison would be mad at that fact.  
The sudden buzzing of her phone emanating from her pocket broke Emily from her thoughts. Spencer, Hanna and Aria all looked towards her in confusion when she didn't answer immediately.

"Sorry." She fumbled, flustered and not bothering to check the caller ID. "Hello?"

"Hey killer." Alison's voice rang through the phone filling Emily with a sense of comfort and she couldn't help the smile she produced because of it.

"Hey, how's work?" Emily turned slightly when she realised three pairs of eyes looking at her curiously. Hanna had a smirk the size of a planet, Spencer had a neutral expression and Aria had her usual sweet smile. All very different expressions.

"Oh you know, work is work. I was just calling up to remind you about your appointment."

"I haven't forgotten."

"Good, well you should get that cute ass in that Range Rover shouldn't you?"

"Probably..." Emily blushed and looked towards Hanna who was somehow managing to resist the urge to squeal at how adorable the situation in front of her was.

"I just want you to be safe." Alison's voice was soft, softer than usual but still through the phone the volume was loud enough for Hanna, Spencer and Aria to hear the conversation if they tried.

"I am, Ali."

"I'd better go; we're still shooting but message me after your appointment. I want to know what's up."

"I can just tell you when you're done?" Emily offered, knowing full well that in the background she could hear people calling for Alison and she could imagine the blonde raising a hand telling them to be patient.

"A message will be fine, Miss Fields." Alison chuckled and waited for Emily to reply, even though in the background her director was indeed telling her to hurry up.

"Yes ma'am." Emily chuckled along with her, forgetting about the company that resigned only a few mere inches away, pretending not to watch Emily and her conversation. "I'd better go."

"Playing hard to get, I like that. Bye killer." Alison hung up the phone without another word, smirking to herself before throwing it in her bag and heading back onto the set.  
Emily placed her own phone in her pocket and turned to have her friends staring at her intrusively.

"So its _Ali_ now, is it?" Hanna wriggled her eyebrows skilfully before winking.

"Why does she call you Miss Fields?" Spencer interrupted. "Is she from the eighteen hundreds?"

"It's called being polite, Spence." Emily answered and rolled her eyes in unison.

"Well she can't be from that time and be with Emily, that wasn't something they did back then." Hanna rambled, her words weren't intending to be offensive but she was worried as she spoke them that she may have crossed a line; she was only trying to be funny after all.

"What are you saying? People weren't gay in the eighteen hundreds?" Spencer was getting slightly defensive but neither of her friends understood as to why, in fact they were all giggling slightly at her readiness.

"It was a joke, calm down."

"We're getting distracted," Emily began, interrupting Hanna and Spencer's mini war. "I need to go. My appointment is soon."

Sipping the last of her coffee Emily placed the mug on the table and stood from the comfortable lounge, holding her supported arm with her free one as she moved. The sudden change in movement was uncomfortable on her shoulder and collarbone, even though the painkillers were doing a decent job, the pain still lingered.

"I'll walk you out." Spencer interjected after Emily gave Hanna and Aria a hug goodbye. Hanna and Aria didn't find this too out of the ordinary since they were still going to be in the coffee shop for a while to discuss details about Spencer's moving.  
When the pair had made it outside and into the cold air Spencer quickly turned and looked for Emily's car.

"How did you get here?"

Emily pointed to the large Range Rover that hadn't moved from its spot down the road. Spencer quirked an eyebrow but resisted the urge to reply with a smart-ass response.

"Have you signed the Non Disclosure Agreement yet?" Spencer looked around making sure no one close by could hear, but considering it was a Monday afternoon people were still at work and the sidewalks were pretty empty.

"I haven't, no." Emily answered, knowing that this was coming.

"And she hasn't pushed it at all?"

"No."

"I want to look at it, if you do decide to sign it." Spencer's tone was neutral but somehow very dominating; it was almost scary, _almost_.

"Why? What could possibly be wrong with it?"

"Nothing, but I know if someone's got spare NDA's hanging around then they've usually got something to hide."

Emily's thoughts immediately travelled to what Alison had told her the night before, or more what Alison _didn't_ tell her. She couldn't help but agree with Spencer, Alison did have something to hide but Emily knew she would know soon enough, if she gave the blonde the space she required. She didn't want to over step but somehow she knew Spencer wouldn't be so understanding.  
Her eyes gave away the insecurities she was feeling and Spencer immediately noticed, as always.

"You know she's hiding something, don't you?" Spencer was being her over intrusive self but suddenly Emily didn't feel in the mood for an interrogation. It seemed no matter who she was with romantically; it was never good enough for the brunette. "Emily, please be careful, I don't know if I like this Alison celebrity."

"She's still a human being, what is so wrong with her? Can't you just be happy for me? Can you seriously not take into account that, for once, I am happy?"

"I would like to remind you, that you're about to go see a specialist for your collarbone because it's broken in several different places." Spencer's tone was condescending and immature, it frustrated Emily that she couldn't have a proper conversation with the brunette when she had her mind made up about someone.

"What happened to my shoulder wasn't Alison's fault. She didn't push me over."

"This girl isn't good for you, Emily." Spencer didn't give Emily the chance to defend herself as she skip over her statement and moved to be her bossy self.

"I think I can make my own decisions, Spencer."

Emily turned without another word and headed for the car. Getting in silently she put her seatbelt on and waited for Mason to go, he looked between Spencer and the rear view mirror were he could clearly see Emily on purposely look anywhere but the tall brunette or him.  
Starting the engine without a word he drove away and remained in the silence Emily had created. Feeling worried that the brunette was struggling with her thoughts he couldn't help but keep looking back into the mirror.  
After almost half an hour silence and the only noise being the soft hum of the engine flying down the highway, Emily thought she was going to explode, how dare Spencer be so close minded and insensitive to her feelings? Emily understood her friend was just trying to be a friend but she was going about it all wrong.  
She was struggling enough with the Non Disclosure Agreement, she didn't need Spencer riding her about it as well.  
The car came to a slow stop as Mason parked in front of a small house; it had a medical sign out the front and a few other cars parked on the street. It was a private practice which for some reason surprised Emily. She didn't know what she was expecting but when Mason got out and went to open her door she soon forgot all about it.  
They walked side by side in silence up to the front door, pressing the door bell Mason looked up at the security camera that occupied the top right hand corner of the door.  
Rolling her eyes and sighing in unison Emily already understood that this was a very _private_ practice.

"What was wrong with the hospital?" Emily mumbled rhetorically, causing Mason to smirk. The sound of the camera moving and a loud beeping sound followed.  
Pushing the door open Mason out stretched his arm indicating Emily to walk in first. Inside was plain and white, the only thing that stood out was a small coffee table holding a few magazines and books and a few different plot planets were hanging around. It was posh and sheikh and the soft hum of classical music buzzed lightly in the background.  
Mason walked towards the small receptionist desk where a petite blonde girl sat quietly typing away at her computer. Looking up she smiled at the both of them sweetly before busying herself if a few papers.

"Hello Mr. Mason, how are you today?" She said sweetly while handing the papers on a clip board towards him. Emily crinkled her nose slightly in surprise at how the woman addressed Mason, she wasn't aware that Mason was his last name.

"I'm very well Miranda, and yourself?"

"Good thank you. On time as always I see."

"Of course, don't want to keep the good doctor waiting."

As Emily watched the two make polite conversation it was obvious they somewhat knew each other and considering the practice was a fair distance from Rosewood it didn't surprise Emily that Mason was well known, maybe Alison had connections here, or maybe she just knew a lot of people.

"And are you Miss Fields?" Miranda commented delightfully.

"Yes." She said clearing her throat shyly.

"I just need you to fill out this paper work before you see the doctor."

Emily sat patiently in the waiting room while Mason continued to talk to Miranda; they seemed pretty close like they knew each other out of work. Which wasn't overly out of the ordinary, it just seemed like Mason didn't have much time for anything that wasn't Alison, he always seemed to be at her side, with today as an exception.

"Emily Fields?" A tall, thin, blonde haired middled aged woman poked her head from behind a door and looked towards Emily; considering she was the only other person in the room it would seem it was obvious she was the next patient. However, nodding out of politeness Emily couldn't help but look the doctor up and down, she was well kept and had very expensive but casual clothes on.

"Just come through here." Her voice was soothing and oddly relaxing, though Emily wasn't sure why she was tense in the first place.  
Standing she followed the woman through the door before looking over at Mason who had averted his attention when her name was called.

"I'll be right here if you need anything." He said comfortingly and Emily smiled.

Looking ahead again she made her way into the room, the doctor shut the door behind them and then invited Emily to take a seat.

"So Miss Fields," She began flicking through some papers on her desk and the folder that Emily recognised as her X-rays. "May I call you Emily?"

"God, yes please." Emily almost covered her mouth with embarrassment at how quickly she replied but the woman merely smiled and let a small laugh slip before she looked back down at her desk.

"Not a fan of your last name?" She questioned, not looking up from her desk.

"It's not that." Emily sighed. "I'm just kind of over the formality of it all."

"I understand, well my name is Doctor Rebecca Morton but you can call me Bec. So by the looks of it you have one serious shoulder injury."

"I didn't think I really needed to see a specialist about it, I mean it's in a lot of pain but it's a broken bone. One can kind of expect pain."

"Emily, with such an injury, just by looking at these X-rays I can tell it's severe. I'm even a little concern the hospital discharged you so soon." Rebecca held the X-rays up to the ceiling light and investigated the images, crinkling her eyes unimpressed with what she saw.

"What do you mean?"

"Collar bones grow back together immensely fast, and if they grow back the wrong way then it could be very detrimental to the structure of your arm. I can almost guarantee you that the pain you're feeling right now is the bone attempting to move back into place."

"So," Emily paused, trying to understand what Rebecca was actually telling her. "How do you fix it?"

"Usually we'd make sure it is correctly growing by re breaking it back into place and put it in a sling to keep it supported, but that won't be enough. This _needs_ to be fixed with surgery."

Emily sat in silence for a long time, soaking up the information that was still somewhat confusing to her.

"I really thought collar bones were fixed with a week or two of slings and like a month of recovery." Emily murmured quietly.

"Generally yes, it usually only takes the bone that amount of time to heal. But Emily, looking at this I can tell it won't be that easy, look at this side of the bone," She pointed to the main break and Emily squinted her eyes to find what she was showing her. "This end doesn't line up with the other, they are displaced and so it cannot regrow together, not healthily anyway and considering it is such a large break and so many small fractures, surgery would be the safest option because it realigns the bones to pretty much exactly how they were."

Rubbing her forehead that was so full of information Emily wanted to place her head between her knees and scream. Her head was aching with pain and her shoulder was almost pulsing it was that sore and yet the only thing she could seem to think about was Alison. She just wanted the blonde by her side, holding her hand. Somehow she knew that would make everything feel better.

"How long does recovery take?"

"Anywhere from six to twelve weeks, depending on how you cope post-surgery."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm recommending you to a surgeon I know, he specialises in surgery for the clavicle fracture, or a broken collarbone. I am thinking he will want to keep the bone supported with special plates and screws. Professionally speaking I would recommend this support to keep the bone aligned but a second opinion can't hurt."

"So three months and I'll be okay?"

"If you take precaution and do proper rehabilitation, yes, three months." Rebecca nodded and waited for Emily to take in every single piece of information she just provided. It was a lot to take in and the brunette was coping pretty well considering.

"I am going to prescribe you a strong dose of painkillers. This is a serious injury and there's nothing worse than experiencing the pain twenty-four seven."

Emily left Rebecca's office with a prescription for a drug she had never heard of and a referral to see another specialist. Sighing she walked to the receptionist desk and waited for Mason and Miranda to finish their conversation so she could pay for the appointment and leave.

"That's all good Miss Fields; you can get those prescriptions made at any chemist." Miranda said sweetly when she turned away from Mason.

"What about paying for the appointment?"

"That was taken care of before you came, ma'am." Emily would've found Miranda's smile contagious if she wasn't focused on the fact that Alison had paid for the appointment.

"Alright, well can I see the paper work for it anyways? I like to keep a record of all my medical appointments." It was a lie, but Emily knew that Miranda had to give her a bill of some sort and she was going to find out how much Alison was paying for this appointment. Miranda looked over at Mason who remained neutral, though he was definitely concerned about Emily's intentions.  
After printing out the paperwork and saying their goodbyes Emily and Mason left the practice and were in the car heading back to Rosewood.  
Opening the envelope that Miranda had put the information in from the appointment in, Emily almost fainted when she read the price.

"Four hundred and sixty two dollars to have someone tell me I need surgery?" She exclaimed, and Mason quickly looked in the rear view mirror and adjusted his sunglasses awkwardly.  
Emily got sidetrack momentarily, noticing that she had never seen Mason with his sunglasses off but she only focused on that for a second before looking back down at the bill.

"Miss DiLaurentis is very... _selective_ with doctors." Mason murmured and Emily sighed. She put the paper work away, knowing that if she looked at it a second longer she might explode and she didn't want to take it out on Mason.  
They drove in silence once again until they made it about ten minutes away from Rosewood.

"Mason?" Emily said softly, receiving a curious looking from the quiet driver.

"Yes, Emily?"

"What's your first name?"

"Daniel."

Sitting back into the comfortable leather seat of the Range Rover Emily admired the name, she thought it matched him. She smiled contently before looking out the window.

"Daniel Mason." She said softly.

"I haven't been called that in years." He chuckled when he pulled the car into Alison's garage.

"I like it." Unclipping her seat belt she slowly untangled her way out of the car. "I honestly thought your name was Mason."

"Most people do."

Emily looked around the garage to find that Alison's motorbike was gone, assuming she took it to work she followed Mason upstairs and into the house.

"She seems to like her motorbike the most." She pointed out when Mason helped her to the lounge, noticing how exhausted she was.

"They're good fun." He murmured before handing her the remote to the television. "I'm going to get the prescription Rebecca gave you, will you be okay for twenty minutes?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

Mason left without another word and Emily heard him disappear down the driveway and out the gate. She was again too tired to bother investigating the house, all the walking and the painkillers combined was messing with her body.  
She managed to turn the television on but within five minutes she was lying down on the lounge supporting her arm carefully and closing her eyes.

 **I hope this was an alright chapter everyone.  
Thanks for all the lovely reviews from the last one; it's really nice to have all the support and encouragement. It does make everything a bit easier and so much more worth it.  
Let me know what you all thought yeah? I love reading the reviews  
Hope everyone's having a good day too :)**

 **-Aemstar**


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter Ten**_

The sudden sound of the door to the garage crashing open jolted Emily from her slumber, looking outside she noticed the sun was beginning to set, indicating she must have been asleep for a lot longer than she expected or intended too.

"Emily?" She heard Alison yell as she quickly ran into the house, investigating the living room first as she threw her motorbike helmet to the ground. She sighed in relief when she found Emily lying on the lounge looking up at her rather confused. "Oh my god, there you are!"

"What's wrong?" Emily questioned as she sat up from the lounge and rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"I asked you to call me when you were finished." Her voice was borderline screaming as she wiped her forehead free of sweat. Unbuttoning her heavy leather motorbike jacket she threw it to the ground and pulled Emily into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry; I fell asleep when Mason went to get my medication."

"He wasn't supposed to leave your side today."

"Ali, I'm safe here." She grunted slightly when Alison's hold was too much on her shoulder.

"That's not the point. I asked you to call me." As Alison quickly moved away, Emily noticed how fast the blonde's breathing really was. "And neither you nor Mason was answering your phones, and that is unusual of him. I thought something had happened!"

"Alison, it's okay. I'm safe, I'm sure Mason is around here somewhere. Please calm down."

"You don't understand, Emily!" Alison almost threw her body down on the lounge opposite her as if she was losing control and it was the only way she could gain it back again.

"Understand what, Alison?"

"If someone doesn't answer their phone, I assume the worst. Look at what happened the last time I left you alone, Paige came and almost chocked you to death!"

She was almost shaking she was that short of breath and Emily wasted no time in getting up from the lounge and closing the distance between them. Kneeling down in front of the distort blonde she let her free hand grabbed one of Alison's hands that was holding her head tightly.

"I'm sorry, Ali." Emily whispered, tilting her head so she could see Alison's eyes.

Looking up and into the warm chocolate brown eyes Alison felt her body calm almost instantly but she was still mad for Emily not calling her, she had never felt so worried in her life. She had never left a movie set so quickly in her life! The moment the director had dismissed them for the day she didn't wait for anybody, she didn't stay behind to talk to the other cast or crew members.  
She was straight in her change room getting into her motorbike gear and almost running out to her bike and on her way home.

"Emily, you mean so much to me. I couldn't stand the thought of..." Alison felt tears suddenly pool in her eyes, a wave of emotion crashing over her like a tsunami of years of build up crumbling down in one go. Wiping them away just as quickly as they formed Alison felt Emily's free hand move to her cheek.

"I'm here, I'm right here with you." Her voice was soothing to Alison's ears; her thoughts were so clouded with darkness that she couldn't focus on anything else but Emily's touch. Forcing her breathing to slow she touched the hand that lay upon her cheek while closing her eyes, letting the sensation relax her further.

"Talk to me." Emily's words were soothing, but there was a small tone that was pleading Alison to open up to her. "You can trust me, Ali."

She sat in silence for what seemed like a very long time, but Emily watched her patiently and gave no intention of showing pressure.  
Alison sighed softly and pressed their heads together. Her breathing had slowed down and the tears that threatened to fall had almost disappeared, though her cheeks and eyes were still wet from their presence.  
She felt confident having the brunette in front of her; she felt she could trust her without some type of paperwork assuring it. She felt Emily was different, she _knew_ Emily was different.  
Finding confidence to finally decide to tell Emily the truth she went to speak but the sudden sound of her phone ringing from her pocket interrupted her.  
Sighing, she quickly pulled it out and checked the caller ID before answering.

"Mason."

"I'm sorry Miss DiLaurentis! I got a call from the hospital when I left; my wife was hit by a car." She instantly felt all sense of anger disappear and become replaced with horror and concern.

"Is she okay?"

"She will be, the doctors took so long because they were trying to find out about the baby."

"What baby?" Alison quickly stood from the lounge and began pacing throughout the room, she saw Emily sit back down and watched, concerned.

"I didn't want to tell you yet because it was too early but we're expecting."

"So the baby is okay?"

"Yes, they both are." Mason sounded incredibly relieved over the phone and Alison knew how hard it was being for him, to sit there and wait.

"Mason, why wouldn't you tell me about that? You know I would be okay with it."

"We were keeping it secret for a bit. They said it was a hit and run Ma'am, I think this was more on purpose than they believe. I need you to stay home until I can find a replacement, it won't take long."

"You mean?" Alison paused, following Mason's train of thought.

"He's back."

Alison stood silent for a long time and Emily watched nervously as she processed the conversation on the phone. Walking to the door she made sure it was locked before walking back into the room and sitting on the lounge, rubbing her head she sighed and looked over at the curious brunette who was oblivious to the entire conversation.

"We need to track him down, but make sure your wife is okay first. We will stay here until there is protection." Alison's voice had returned to the formal tone Emily hadn't heard in what felt like forever.

"There was one more thing..." Mason sounded incredibly soft which meant nothing but bad news on Alison's behalf. Bracing herself for the worse she looked over at Emily and back to her phone.

"He delivered a note to the hospital when my wife was brought in, I'm assuming after he hit her but before I knew. The nurses said he said they had to give it to me when I arrived."

"What does it say?"

" _I'm sorry I hurt her, but Alison must pay. I am closer than ever, so Mason, stay away_."

"Oh he's a poet now, is he?" Alison almost groaned before looking back down at Emily, whose eyebrows were so high they were almost in her hair line.

"I can't protect you and my wife at the same time."

"You don't have to Mason, we'll sort this out. Take your wife somewhere safe when you can."

"I'm sorry ma'am." Mason's tone was laced with disappointment but Alison knew this was something that needed attention, she would be fine in her home and she knew he would find protection.

"Don't be, you stay safe. Keep me posted."

"I will." He sounded assured.

"Thank you, Mason." She hung up the phone without another word and put both her hands on her head in an attempt to keep herself from losing what little sanity she had left.

"What happened? Is Mason's wife okay?"

"She was in a hit and run, but she's okay and so is their baby. I didn't know they were trying for one so that was bit of a surprise." Alison wanted to smile at the thought of a mini Mason running around but her mind was distracted and couldn't focus on anything positive at that moment.

"So why do _we_ need protection then?"

"Because it wasn't an accident."

"That still doesn't explain why you need protection." Emily countered quickly.

"It was a threat." Alison murmured while finally removing her hands from her head.

"From whom?"

A silence filled the room as Alison realised she had spoken too much, she had never felt this, out of control, the fact that she had let too much detail slip was not something she was going to let herself grow accustom too.

"Ali?" Emily pushed, but Alison merely stood from the chair and shook her head.

"I can't tell you." Leaving the living room she needed to clear her head but she heard Emily stand and follow so she knew her mind would only become more clouded.

"Alison! Stop walking away from this, stop half telling me stories that you can't finish. I deserve to know if I am in danger." Emily didn't actually care if she was in danger because she knew she was safe but if Alison was going to continue withholding information from her she thought she was going to go insane.  
Dropping her shoulders, Alison felt defeated and felt she couldn't win but she still couldn't face the brunette. There was so much about her past that she was sure any normal person would run from.

"The person that hit Mason's wife was someone I knew before my career." Her voice was soft but she still couldn't bear to face Emily.

"How did you know him?" She heard Emily shift uncomfortably behind her; it gave her enough incentive to finally turn around.

"He was the best friend of a boy I used to date."

"Why is he acting this way?" Emily subconsciously matched the volume of her voice to Alison's, she felt the air thicken in the room, it was heavy and suffocating but she focused on the blonde in front of her.

"Because his best friend is dead, and his death was my fault."

Alison knew there was no going back, so she bravely looked Emily in the eye and observed her reaction.  
She stood there for a long time, as if being in silence would somehow make the words sink in more efficiently, but they didn't, she was kind of shocked.

"What do you mean?" She finally spoke and Alison sighed.

"Come, I'll show you." Alison outstretched her hand and Emily eyed it carefully, taking it she felt a small tug as Alison led her up the stairs and towards her bedroom.

"Show me what?" She asked curiously, a hint of concern meshed in with her voice but Alison didn't reply, she merely sat the brunette on the bed and moved over to the television and turned it on.  
Flicking on to the Netflix menu she selected the movie title _A Night To Remember_ and sat back down next to the very confused brunette.

"Why are we watching this?"

"We're not but it will help me explain what happened before I was famous."

"Ali, in this movie you die. Want to explain that?"

"The story was altered slightly." Emily shifted uncomfortably on the bed, suddenly she felt pressured and nervous.

"So, this story is about you?" She murmured softly.

"Yes."

"But you said you didn't know who it was based off."

"I had to lie, Emily." Alison's face displayed discomfort because she knew how much she hated lying to Emily but she couldn't help it.

"So that means your boyfriend... died?" Though Emily knew the answer, she felt like she needed to hear the words fall from Alison's lips. The blonde cringed at the thought before recovering and moving closer towards her.

"Yes, but in the film he was driving, when in reality he wasn't." She paused and took a deep breath, hoping it would calm herself. It didn't. "I was."

"Ali..." Emily whispered, feeling the heaviness of the conversation begin to take its course.

"You don't have to say anything Em, I'm not expecting anything."

"Tell me what happened." She said quickly, understanding that this was Alison finally opening up to her. This was Alison finally telling her everything she at one stage couldn't and she wasn't going to miss such an opportunity.

"What?"Alison whispered.

"I want to know what happened, I want to know everything." Her hand quickly connected with Alison's in a soothing and encouraging manner causing the blonde to smile softly.

"His name was Luke; he was the new guy in school. I was one of the less popular girls but we met at a party in the summer before senior year and we just clicked. His parents were all about education and thought I was a distraction but he didn't care, he said he loved me too much for anything else to matter."

Emily watched as Alison reminisced the past and she suddenly felt the mixture of jealousy and sympathy, it was a weird combination but she wanted to listen regardless.

"He helped me feel more confident about myself but a lot of the time we fought because we couldn't always see each other. But one night we couldn't stand the fighting anymore, _I_ couldn't stand the fighting anymore, I thought he was going to leave me but he didn't..." She trailed away, lost in her memories and Emily watched the spark in Alison's eye disappear momentarily with her.

"We were going to his parent's house, to try and talk everything out with them but on the way a drunk driver hit us and we spun out of control. I had a few minimal injuries but he..."

Her words slowly faded away and tears filled her eyes, the thought of looking up from the driver side and over to the passenger seat was a sight Alison would never forget. As Emily looked in her eyes she could see the pain that was buried behind the walls that the blonde had spent so long building up.

"I was still on my permit license; I feel if I hadn't driven they'd still be alive."

"They?" Emily picked up quicker than Alison had on her own slip. However feeling brave and as though she could trust the brunette she felt she could tell the whole truth. "Was someone else in the car?"

"Sort of."

"What do you mean?" Emily felt confused beyond all reason but as many tears continue to fall from Alison's eyes the only thing she could seem to focus on was the pain the blonde was portraying.

"I... I was..." Closing her eyes she took a deep breath and reopened them to find Emily looking at her, her eyes showing patience and kindness, everything that she needed to keep talking.

"I was pregnant."

Emily felt her legs subconsciously move to stand; the shock of what Alison had told her was not what she was expecting. She felt her body wobbly from tiredness but she forced her legs to stay strong.  
Tears were streamy down Alison's face but her body wouldn't move to comfort.

"You were pregnant?" Her lips trembled, almost terrified that Alison was making a joke but she knew by how serious the blonde looked that this was serious.  
Alison nodded and felt herself break down, her body concaved and slipped off the bed but Emily was there to catch her with her free arm.

"I was only a month or so along... but she died from the trauma." The tears continued to flow as Emily held her tightly against her chest, ignoring the pain that lingered in her collarbone. Alison cried for a very long time and it made Emily want to cry she felt so heartbroken to even hear such a story, let alone live it, she had no idea what Alison was feeling.  
Though she was very confused and still had many questions, she knew right then wasn't the time. She would ask questions later.  
Showing no intentions of letting her go Emily kissed Alison's forehead delicately, letting the blonde let out all the emotion she had been suppressing.

"I'm sorry." Alison whispered almost ten minutes later while roughly wiping away her tears, as if they were searing her cheeks in pain.

"Don't be sorry." Emily said genuinely. "You can trust me."

"I know I can." She nodded in the brunette's warm chest, enjoying the comfort and closeness. They sat together for a few moments before Emily helped her off the ground and back onto the bed.

"It wasn't your fault, Ali." Emily knelt down in front of the blonde and observed her carefully; she was seeing Alison internally punish herself for everything she felt she had done.  
The thought that Alison was blaming herself for something that was nothing more than an accident cause by someone else was something Emily wasn't happy with.

"It was." The blonde whispered and all sense of hope long gone in her tone. Quickly Emily's free hand rushed to her cheek, smoothing the skin over with her thumb and tugging softly to get eye contact.

"I know you're hurting and I know you think it's your fault, but Ali, it's not. You can't punish yourself forever; they would want you to be happy, they wouldn't want this." Emily wiped away another tear that had slipped from her glassy eyes and soften her gaze, for the first time in a long time Alison felt like she finally had a connection with somebody again but she was afraid to move on, afraid to forget, afraid to forgive herself in fear that it would mean something.

"His best friend blamed it on me, ever since the last day in the hospital he made it his personal goal to make me pay for what I had done. His family pretty much hated me and they never knew about the baby so they had no need to feel anything for me, my parent's felt sympathetic but couldn't do much. When Luke was gone it was just me, stuck in the place where I hadn't graduated and didn't have a job. That's when I met James; he was an old friend of Luke's and when he came to find out what had happened he was surprised to see me by his grave."

Emily sat back onto the bed and made her look attentive, she was in awe of how much there was to know but she was glad Alison was talking; she was so young for so much trauma and baggage.

"James was already a celebrity at that point so seeing him was a shock, I knew who he was but I didn't think he knew who I was. He said he knew Luke always wanted to make movies. Direct them, produce them, so he suggested writing a similar story, without all the personal details, and dedicating it to him. When we took the story to a producer he knew they were all for it, they said they wanted me to star in it because they thought I was perfect for the role, I looked the part and I displayed a personal connection with the script."

"That was because you lived it." Emily mumbled, taking a minute to intake all the information.

"Personally, I was a bit uneasy about doing a movie on our relationship but James said it would be something to think about. Eventually I said I would, and that's when my career started and I know how it sounds, I got famous of my late boyfriends death story but it wasn't like that. I wanted to feel like I was giving something back to him, even though he wasn't physically around anymore."

"I don't think it's like that, I think it was your way of showing your love for him."

"I couldn't tell anyone every single detail, James knew about the accident but as far as anyone else was concerned we had written to story from scratch in dedication to James' friend, it had nothing to do with me."

"So does anyone know about the baby?"

"Well Mason and that was what Derek was talking about before, getting me out of trouble. Luke's friend, his name is Eric, threatened to tell everyone because he also knew about the baby."

"Why would he threaten that?"

"Because he didn't like the idea of the movie and because he hates me for what happened."

Emily sighed, feeling exhausted from so much information. Standing she paced around the room for a solid two minutes before Alison said anything again.

"Em..." She paused and waited for the brunette to look over at her. "I want you to know, that meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Ali, I mean this so respectfully but after watching that movie and _that_ scene, knowing it was real makes it hard for me to think you could want anyone else but him."

Alison's shoulders dropped, she knew that this reaction was coming but somehow she felt surprised by it.

"I want you." She whispered, feeling ashamed for being so vulnerable. Emily turned and saw the hurt glisten in her eyes and she immediately moved back in front of the blonde.

"I just don't want force you into anything you're not ready for, or don't want."

"I want you, Emily." She said desperately as she moved forward on her knees and grabbed the brunette's cheeks, holding them tightly in a frantic attempt to show how she was feeling.

"Ali..." Emily whispered while moving her head into the smooth hands that held her tightly.

"I want you." Her voice was barely audible but it rang so clearly in Emily's ears.

Tension grew as Alison felt her body relax when Emily's hand snaked around her back, their lips dangled teasingly apart but neither showed signs of making a move; they sat there on the bed and let the moment grow between them.  
Breathing becoming more rapid and short neither girl let their eyes break contact, afraid that in doing so the other would disappear. At the thought of losing someone so special Alison's hands moved to Emily's neck and held tightly.  
Slowly closing the distance between them both finally allowed their eyes to close so they could enjoy the sweet moment that was about to unfold. Their lips touched ever so slightly, it was gentle and pure emotion. As their lips moved against each other delicately, Emily felt Alison pull on her neck, bringing her backwards onto the bed.  
Until that moment she had forgotten how much her shoulder and collarbone were aching, however ignoring the pain she hovered skilfully above the blonde with one arm that wobbled slightly under her weight.  
Noticing, Alison gently switched the pair and continued to enjoy the moment between them.

"Emily, please believe me. I want you."

"I do, Ali. And believe me; no one could want you more than I could."

 **Hey everyone, sorry about how long it's been. Also sorry if there is a few flaws and spelling mistakes with this chapter! Please note I just wanted to update so badly.  
So, what did you guys think of the twist? With Alison being a pregnant teen?  
I hope everyone liked it, please let me know in the reviews section. (But be kind :P)  
As always thanks for the lovely comments – keep them coming! It gives me confidence to write more :)  
Anyways hope everyone enjoyed!**

 **-Aemstar**


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter Eleven**_

The bright morning light was blaring directly into Alison's eyes; it created a hot glare against her eyelids that was displeasing and uncomfortable. Not wanting to open them she reached her arm blindly around her bedside table until she finally found the remote to shut them. A soft beep was heard indicating the blinds were to shut, and sure enough the redness of the light against her eyelids slowly turned black, giving Alison the advantage to open her eyes.  
Stretching slightly she was surprised to feel a warm body spooning her tightly, Emily had fallen asleep holding her close the night before and hadn't left her protective position since. It caused Alison's lips to loosen into a small smile.  
Moving back to her original position her hand gripped onto Emily's hand that had been on her stomach the whole night, she didn't feel like going back to sleep but instead let her thumb softly played with the surface of the sleeping Emily.  
She hadn't been held like this in what felt like forever, it was comforting.  
She didn't remember falling asleep but after she had cried for so long the only thing she could seem to remember was Emily and how understanding she was.  
They kissed. And it was perfect, like always.  
She never felt like she would have that again because she felt she didn't deserve it. Thought's of Luke still haunted her mind, when they were driving and the car came out of nowhere, it was horrifying but the scariest part of the whole experience was seeing Luke in the hospital bed, lifeless.  
It was almost four years ago and she couldn't forgive herself. Sometimes she wished she hadn't survived but when she had met Emily that feeling had lessened greatly.

"Ali?" Emily whispered, her sudden speaking caused Alison to jump slightly. "Sorry, are you okay?"

Alison hadn't noticed that she was crying, it was light but it was only then she realised she was sniffing.

"Yeah, I'm okay." She rubbed her nose with wrist and turned over to be greeted with the warm soft orbs of Emily's understanding gaze.  
Knowing it was a lie Emily felt it wasn't necessary to point it out, she knew Alison was lying and she knew Alison was aware of that, instead she smiled softly and let her free arm play gently with the surface of the blonde's cheek.

"Thank you." She murmured.

"For what?" Alison was surprised with Emily's response but found her smile infectious.

"For telling me everything." It wasn't what Alison was expecting and she suddenly felt her heart skip a beat, she didn't think anyone could be like this, she was so used to dishonesty and it was hard to adjust to anything different.

"Please don't tell anyone." She almost sobbed before curling up into Emily's chest, hiding her uncontrollable tears.

"Hey," Emily said softly while holding the back of her head. "Look at me."

Alison shook her head with embarrassment but Emily's hand snaked underneath her chin and lightly pulled her up from her hiding spot.

"I will sign that piece of paper, a million times if I have to, just to make sure you know you can trust me."

Alison felt her lips tremble and her eyes water more as the overwhelming feeling of being cared for rushed over her. She felt her body concave under years of undealt with pressure and emotion, huddling back into Emily she cried for what felt like an eternity.  
After composing herself she looked at Emily, who hadn't moved or said a word, but instead looked over her protectively.

"Do you want me to sign it?" She murmured comfortingly and Alison remained silent for a very long time, her thoughts were scattered and it was hard to focus on anything but somehow she knew what she was feeling.

"No, I trust you." She whispered softly and shyly, as if it was unusual to have the words come from her mouth.

"I never thought I'd hear you say that, Ali."

"I trust you." She repeated, feeling a sense of relief flow through not just herself but also Emily. To Emily it was like everything around her was falling into place because of one sentence, of three simple words.

"I know you don't trust easily." Emily kissed her forehead gently and tightened her hold, only to wince in pain when the overwhelming sensation of pain coursed dangerously fast up her arm and into her collarbone.

"How is your shoulder?" She asked, finally distracted from her own feelings.

"Sore." Emily moved onto her back and kept it supported, while Alison moved onto her chest and played with the skin of her stomach.

"What did the doctor say?"

"She thinks I need surgery but she wants me to see a specialist for a second opinion, I'm paying you back for that appointment by the way." Emily looked down and gave the blonde an unimpressed look, and quickly she understood that paying of the appointment, no matter how hard to tried, was not going to happen.

"It's okay; I wanted to feel like I was helping, so when do you want to see the specialist?"

Knowing she couldn't argue with such an explanation Emily decided not to pick a fight and move on.

"I thought she was a specialist." Emily replied dramatically, feeling slightly taken aback with how many different doctors you could see for the same injury.

"She's a specialist for shoulder and collarbone injuries but she doesn't perform the surgery. The person you will see will probably be a specialist in the surgery."

Sighing in slight confusion Emily adjusted her arm before wincing again, by this point she was fully aware that her prescription medication had worn off but she didn't have any of the new medication the specialist had prescribed for her the day before since Mason had never returned.

"Do you know where my medication is?"

"I think it's still down stairs, come on. I'll make us some coffee and we can look at booking that appointment." Alison stood from the bed and began undressing from the clothes she hadn't bothered changing from the night before. Emily admired with a smile while the blonde's back was turned before forcing her body to move from the bed.

"Here." Alison handed Emily some of the clothes Mason had bought for her and smirked playfully. "Now it's my turn to sneak a look."

"I wasn't-" Emily began but when Alison raised an eyebrow she knew she was caught. Sighing she used her free hand to undo her pants but Alison immediately recognised the struggle.

"Here." She repeated softly while slowly and carefully helping Emily out of the jeans before grabbing the pair that the brunette was holding and helped her in, it was silence except for their breathing. Emily sighed softly when Alison's hands brushed against her thigh, in response giving her the confidence to kiss it gently before pulling the fabric up.  
When the challenge of the jeans was completed Alison straightened herself up and moved to the buttons of Emily's blouse, it was simple but it complimented her and the moment she began undoing the buttons she began distracted with the warm tanned skin. Emily noticed this and looked down at Alison's trembling hands before looking back at her eyes.  
The blonde's eyes however were stuck on her hands and how slowly they seemed to be moving but when the final button was done she lightly opened the fabric and let her finger tips dance freely across the warm skin. Emily moaned gently in response.

"That feels nice." She whispered, and Alison's eyes moved up from her stomach to her breasts. In her peripherals a large black and purple bruise caught her attention. The lump in Emily's shoulder had probably doubled in size since she had last seen it, the bruise was incredibly detailed and much darker, no wonder the brunette was in pain. It was like it had consumed over ninety percent of her shoulder and it was still growing, like a virus trying to invade her body cursing her with a deadly looking mark. She knew it was extreme but it looked so painful she couldn't help but stare.  
Emily noticed this and delicately took her cheek with one hand while they changed over shirts.

"I'm so sorry, Emily." Alison whispered while still looking at the bruise but Emily's response was unexpected, the sudden movement almost shocked Alison but within seconds she subconsciously responded.  
Emily had pushed her against the closest wall and with one hand had somehow skilfully kept both of her hand's above her head before guiding one to the back of her neck and the other remaining above them. Wasting no time Emily connected their lips, making sure she was the dominant one, creating a passion to blaze dangerously deep within Alison's stomach.  
Wanting to fight back Alison balled her imprisoned hand into a tight fist while securely holding onto Emily's neck with the other, when the brunette only held her tighter and not providing any sense that there would be room for escape she gently bit on Alison's lip, causing a moan to follow.

"I won't let you think this is your fault." Emily's words were soft but they were so forceful Alison's heart had skipped a beat.

"It is... my fault." She gasped between their kissing while her hand continued to fight for release so she could hold the brunette closer. To her disappointment Emily had captured the hand around her neck and made it rejoin the other above her head again.

"It's not your fault." Emily's confidence radiated from her as Alison's hands balled together, trying desperately hard to touch the brunette.

"It is." She whispered, though her words displayed defeat as if she was giving into Emily. Her dominating and confident nature had disappeared and now it was the brunette's turn.  
Disconnecting their lips Emily slowly made a trail of small fire-filled kisses along her neck and down her chest before circling back up and purposefully missing her lips.

"It's not." Her voice was significantly softer but the dominance remained.

"Emily..."

"You will not be blaming yourself for this, Alison." It was a command, there was definitely no negotiating with her and that was something Alison was not used to.

"Everyone else thinks it's my fault."

"I'm not everyone else, I _know_ it's not, _you_ didn't push me and I will not allow you to feel responsible. Do you understand me?" She nodded carefully, feeling a tear develop sneakily in the corner of her eye. Blinking it away she moved into kiss Emily, pausing when her hands were freed and Emily's went to her chin.

"I can't watch you blame yourself for something you didn't do." It had a double meaning and Alison understood immediately that they weren't talking about just Emily's shoulder anymore, but it was hard to let go of the past. Feeling like there was nothing else she could do she pressed their heads together and breathed in, allowing the brunette's words to soak in and maybe help a sense of forgiveness begin to flow through herself.

"Come on, we'll get some coffee." Emily murmured, trying not to be too forceful, since she knew in that moment all Alison needed was support. Walking together hand in hand out of the room and down the stairs Alison could have sworn she had heard the front gate of the property open, thinking she was hearing things she continued following Emily into the kitchen.

"That is a very extravagant coffee machine." Emily pointed towards the item and smiled sarcastically.

"It was a gift." She shrugged her shoulders and looked out the window when she thought she heard another sound from the gate again, seeing the gate in its usual closed position she shook her head and leant against the bench facing Emily, who had already began making herself comfortable with the coffee machine.

"From whom?"

"James, when I moved here he thought it was a nice touch." She smiled and watched Emily skilfully begin to warm the milk while closing the fridge with her heel, it was enjoyable to watch. A sudden knock at the door broke Alison from her thoughts and the show she was watching, Emily stopped swaying her hips and looked curiously towards her.  
Shrugging her shoulders Alison decided that the gate had opened earlier and she was kind of glad she wasn't hearing things.

"It's probably Derek, I got pretty upset with him the last time he decided to just walk in, maybe he's finally figured out how to waits for someone lets him in." Emily suppressed a laugh and went back to making the coffee.  
Alison walked curiously to the door, slightly curious as to why Derek hadn't just come in but she assumed her firm word had finally gotten through to him.  
Looking through the peep hole she widen her eyes and had seconds to react, quickly ducking and rolling out of the way a loud bang followed. Covering her ears in shock she looked up and saw a hole in the door, right where the peep glass used to be. Seconds later two more loud bangs followed and the door knob blew off and the door swung open.  
Kicking the now limp door a very recognisable man walked in holding a small hand gun, blowing the smoke that was floating lazily from the barrel and wiggled his eyebrows and put it back in his large black trench coat, still clearly holding it.

"Hello Alison, miss me?" Eric stood by the door and smiled evilly. "Of course you did."

"What are you doing here?" She said, trying to stall for time.

"I would think that'd be quite obvious, now unfortunately I'm pressed for time, so I'm going to have to get right to the point." He quickly pulled the gun from his pocket again and pulled the safety clip to the off position but before he could even cock the gun Emily charged into the room and pushed him into the wall with so much force he had fallen to the ground. As he gasped for air Alison scrambled from the ground and rushed to Emily's side.  
Not giving either person a chance to think or breath she pulled on Emily's hand and ran down to the garage, grabbing the keys from hook as she went. Shutting the door and locking it behind her she rushed Emily into the only available car left.  
Mason had taken the Range Rover, the AUDI was low on fuel and the bike was definitely not an option, feeling heartbroken that she had to leave it behind so pulled a cable from the engine, disabling the vehicle so there was no way Eric could use it. Another gun fire filled the room causing both her and Emily to duck in reflex, looking over at the door there was a bullet hole next to the handle.

"Who is that?" Emily almost screamed in panic.

"Eric." She said her voice full of panic but trying to remain calm, while pushing the brunette into the Ferrari. Opening the garage door, willing it would open faster when Eric began slamming his body to force the door open.  
Jumping into the driver's seat she put the key into the ignition and started the car with a large rev.

"Seat belt!" Alison commanded, surprisingly well collected before putting the car into gear and flying up the gravel driveway and down the road, looking in the rear view mirror she saw Eric following but there was no way he was going to catch up so in defeat he aimed the gun towards the car. Though the car was a fair amount of distance away the gunshot could still be heard but when the bullet connected with the glass it merely crack under its pressure and fell to the ground.  
The glass was dinted but still in tacked.

"You have bullet proof windows?" Emily was out of breath and it was evident in her tone how scared she was but the hint of disbelief and a mixture of sarcasm was hidden.

"I'm glad I do." She puffed before turning around the corner and merging onto the highway, it seemed busier than usual that morning but she realised it was rush hour.  
Pressing on the small screen on the dashboard Alison accessed her contacts and called Mason, Emily watched curiously as the blonde did the two tasks with ease.  
The phone rang for a long time but Alison was determined and with patient success Mason answered.

"Ma'am?"

"He got in, he got in the gate." She panicked, suddenly feeling paranoid and wary she looked in the rear view mirror and swallowed, hoping no one was following her as she speedily weaved in between the traffic.

"He what?"

"And he had a gun. We can't go back, what do I do?" The line was dead silent for a long time as Mason thought hard about what could be a solution.

"We can go to Hanna's house?" Emily mumbled shyly and Alison looked over at her before looking back to the road.

"What do you think, Mason?" She was serious this time, her tone scared but clear.

"Will you be safe?"

"He won't know where she lives so it might have to do for the time being. I will get in contact with you when I know what's happening. Call the police; tell them he's here and that he's clearly violated his parole with the gun and the restraining order."

"Okay."

She hung up the phone without another word and looked over at Emily, her expression unreadable but her eyes showed fear. The panic was clear though she was trying to remain in control, but she knew she was failing.

"I'll call Hanna." Grabbing Alison's phone she was feeling extremely thankful she had Hanna's number memorised considering she had left her phone back at Alison's.

"Hello?" Hanna answered the phone curiously, confused as to why an unknown number was calling her.

"Han it's me, I need your help." Emily held the phone for no apparent reason, considering it was connected to the cars speaker system she could put it in the back seat and it wouldn't make any difference.

"Emily? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I can't tell you exactly but Alison and I are in trouble, can we go to your place?" Emily watched Alison as she too looked between the dashboard and the road.

"Um, yeah sure. The girls were about to head home and I was just about to leave for work; do you need us to stay?"

"Yes, don't leave the house and make sure the door is locked and don't let anyone in, okay?" Alison commanded, causing Hanna to be silent for a very long time.

"Okay, so I'm on loud speaker then?" It was obvious in Hanna's tone that she was trying to suppress a giggle which would have made both Emily and Alison laugh under different circumstances.

"Yes, look we're not far from your apartment, open the garage for us and we'll see you soon."

Emily pressed the hang up button before Hanna could reply and directed Alison through the streets of Rosewood.  
Ten minutes later they were driving up the tight road that branched off onto several different garages. Hanna's apartment was one of those small houses that were surrounded by several others that looked identical in detail. It was basically a mini house, Emily thought the blonde called it a villa but from memory she wasn't sure.  
Pointing to the house at the very end Emily was glad to see the garage was indeed open and available for parking the car in the provided spot Hanna always left free if she ever decided to visit. It was a spacious garage but it was nothing in comparison to Alison, the Ferrari just fitted next to Hanna's car. Quickly moving to the garage door Emily shut it and walked back to Alison.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Alison questioned while examining her.

"I'm okay," Emily looked away from Alison's eyes and down at her body, a small amount of blood was dripping slowly from her arm causing her eyes to widen in shock. "Ali, you're bleeding!"

The blonde followed her gaze and suddenly the feeling in her arm returned, with the amount of adrenaline in her system she didn't even think for a second that she was in any pain.  
Observing the wound she knew instantly what it was but tried not to focus on it and instead covered it with her hand to reduce the bleeding.

"A bullet must have grazed me in the havoc. I'll be okay, come on let's get inside."

"Alison, we need to look at this." Emily held her arm gently and glanced at the wound, it wasn't serious but it did look painful. Before either could comment further the door that connected the villa and the garage together burst open, causing both to jump in unison.

"What is going on?" Hanna rushed into the room and to Emily's side while Spencer and Aria soon followed in, looking at Alison warily.

"There has been a problem with a certain individual that no longer allows me to be in my home." Alison murmured while Hanna gave the shaking Emily a tight hug.

"Oh, well what did he do?"

"Pulled a gun on her," Emily answered before Alison could, knowing full well that her three friends were going to be judging if she didn't provide a decent explanation. "What? I'm sorry but I think that's a reasonable justification." She rambled quickly when Alison gave her an unimpressed expression.

"Where's your body guard?" Spencer crossed her arms and Alison knew instantly what her thoughts were, considering the blonde had spent so much time trying to convince them that Emily was safe with her.

"His wife was involved in an accident, he's at the hospital."

"Come inside, we'll have a coffee and you can tell us what you can." Aria defused the tension between the group and grabbed Emily's hand.  
Filing in a single line Alison was last into the villa.

"Han, where's your first aid kit?" Emily asked quickly when she returned to Alison side as she shut and locked the door.

"Are you hurt?" Hanna responded in panic.

"I'm not." Every eye went to Alison and her hand that was covering her lower arm. For the first time in years she was suddenly shy and didn't like the attention.

"I'm fine." She stumbled after a long silence, she didn't know when she had gotten hit by a bullet but now that the adrenaline was leaving her body she could feel the sharp sting against her skin.

"I'll help you clean that up." Aria volunteered and she guided Alison to the bathroom to begin to tedious task of cleaning the wound.

It had been just over four hours since they had arrived and the silence was beginning to drive Alison crazy. Spencer had gone out with Toby as extra protection to get Emily some medication for her shoulder and to pass the time Hanna had put a movie on.  
For her it was to fill the silence more than anything. But in the time it took to find a movie that everyone would semi enjoy Spencer had messaged them saying she was on her way back.  
Emily was leaning against Alison, starting to really feel the pain in her shoulder she tried her hardest to think of anything else. Thoughts of the tall Eric standing over the blonde with a gun haunted her mind which wasn't helping her cause at all.  
The only thing that was keeping her sane was Alison's uninjured arm wrapped around her neck playing with her skin.  
Every so often Hanna would look over at them but when she was caught she would quickly glance back at the television.

"How is your shoulder?" Alison whispered.

"I'm trying not to think about it." She replied, wincing with each breath she took. "How's your arm?"

"Much better with the bandage." Emily gently took Alison's arm and looked at the protective wrapping that consumed most of it. "Derek won't be happy though because that will scar."

She chuckled slightly at the thought of Derek finding out that her "perfect body" will be tainted but when she took things into a larger perspective that was the least of her problems.  
A knock at the door made both Emily and Alison jump again and Aria and Hanna noticed.

"It's us." Spencer's voice called through the door causing the pair to relax instantly. Hanna stood and let them in.  
Walking in and closing the door securely shut behind them Spencer handed Emily her medication that she took gratefully.  
Within half an hour the affects had taken over and Emily was asleep on the lounge against Alison, while Spencer, Hanna and Aria stood in the kitchen discussing the newest events.

"So did she tell you guys what happened?" Spencer said while sipping at the coffee Hanna had made for her.

"No, neither of them said a word." Hanna replied.

"It must be pretty bad though, if they've come here. This guy must be crazy." Aria added.

"I knew we shouldn't have let Emily stay with her, she could have gotten hurt, or worse." Spencer was unimpressed by the whole situation but she felt better knowing Toby and Caleb were in the other room looking into it.

"If Emily wasn't there, I would have been dead." Alison's voice broke the three girls from their small circle and caused them all to jump slightly.

"You said she would be safe with you." Spencer challenged quickly.

"I can grantee you if she went home, she would be dead."

"How do you know that?" The taller brunette folded her arms aggressively and raised an eyebrow.

"Because I know this guy and I know what he's like. That's why we didn't even bother going to her place because he would know straight away."

Silence filled the room while Hanna and Aria looked between the two girls, both strong in will and stubborn in character, it was a clash and neither was willing to back down.

"You _assured_ us she would be safe." Spencer continued, knowing she wasn't going to back down to Alison was all she felt she had going for her argument. The blonde was quiet for a long time, she knew she had failed in that department but at least Emily was okay, for the time being.

"I couldn't have known this was going to happen."

"You are bad for Emily and you know it, Alison. You almost got her killed for goodness sakes!" Spencer threw her hands up dramatically and looked between Hanna and Aria, asking for support but neither was brave enough to speak.

"Did Emily tell you that Paige came to her house? That she almost choked her to death?" Alison figured if Spencer was going to play hardball she could participate. When all three girls dropped their shoulders, knowing that Emily hadn't told them Alison nodded her head sternly. "No, she didn't but you know what? If my body guard and I hadn't been there who knows what could have happened. Just because you don't know me doesn't mean I'm not good for Emily."

Silence filled the room again as the three girls exchanged looks and Alison knew that no matter how hard she tried Emily's three friends were never going to be impressed with her after what happened at the soccer fields. She did feel responsible, how could she not? It was obvious Emily was going to get hurt and she still let her go.  
Emily made it easy for Alison to think of forgiving herself but when the eyes of her friends stared at her, unknowing of what to say next, she knew how responsible she was.

"Ali?" They heard Emily groan from the living room, her voice tried and groggy. Turning around and not bothering the look back at Emily's friends Alison returned to the brunette's side and rubbed her forehead softly.

"Are you okay?" She whispered to the still half asleep Emily while she sat on the ground and stayed at the brunette's eye level. It seemed the new prescription the doctor had suggested was indeed much stronger than the previous, Emily's eyes were opening and closing nonstop and her words were half slurred.

"I'm cold."

"I'll get you a blanket." Alison went to stand but was stopped by Emily's free hand.

"Don't leave me." She pleaded and Alison smiled in response. Taking off her jumper she placed it over the brunette's torso before placing her head next to Emily's, lightly kissing her lips before placing her hand over her stomach.  
She was surprisingly comfortable for such an odd position on the floor but she was so focused on Emily that nothing else seemed to matter.

"I'm sorry I've put you in this mess, Em." She whispered and though Emily's eyes were shut it was clear she was still awake.

"I don't regret a thing." Her words were so sweet it made her smile grow; it made her feel so wanted and needed. Even with all the trouble that existed outside that room she knew that everything would be alright as long as she had Emily.

 **Hope everyone enjoyed, this chapter was a little hard to write that's why I've taken so long to update it!  
Let me know what you guys think okay? But please be kind, I like **_**constructive**_ **criticism.  
Thanks again for all the lovely reviews! I read every single one and each comment makes me write more, so keep them up.  
Have a lovely day/ night (wherever you may be as you read this).**

 **-Aemstar**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey everyone! I'm so sorry about how long it's been my computer crashed and I lost the whole chapter so I had to start again (well almost, I had some saved on an external hard drive). Anyways this is mostly a fluff chapter since I've been really craving some Emison lately!**

 _ **Chapter Twelve**_

It had been a week and Emily was finally in her hospital gowns and lying in bed waiting patiently for Doctor Rebecca Morton to finish speaking with the surgeon she had suggested earlier. She had briefly met Doctor Carlton less than twenty minutes ago; he seemed nice enough which only made the many background checks Alison insisted was necessary, so unnecessary.  
Hanna was standing at her right side while Alison was on her left, both staring at her waiting for her to speak. Spencer had gone home to get prepared for moving and Aria had returned to Philadelphia to pay some very needed attention to her gallery.  
The week had passed slowly, mainly because Hanna had no company, Emily had been sleeping pretty much nonstop while Alison paced around the entire villa constantly dwelling on whatever controlled her thoughts, Hanna was just glad that she was working so she didn't have to force small talk with a celebrity.  
Emily was becoming nervous after waiting so long, she was aware that she would be asleep but for the first time that week she was going to be away from Alison, and that suddenly was something she wasn't okay with. She knew it was weird, considering they had only known each other for such a small amount of time but she couldn't help it.  
Even then Alison's hand had softly rubbing the back of her own comfortingly.  
She would just be happy to get the surgery over and done with and apparently the media had gotten bored with her apartment since no one had been there in so long, so both Alison and Mason were okay with her returning home. Under the understanding that Alison would stay with her, which she didn't object to.

"A week is all it takes, huh?" Emily suddenly asked, her mind in a hundred million places. Alison looked down at her, confused beyond all reason "For the media to get bored." She explained quickly.

"Yeah usually, there always something new and different to be annoying the hell out of." They all shared a snicker before the door opened and Rebecca and the surgeon walked in, he was an older gentleman but very polite, Alison liked him for that.

"Okay Miss Fields, everything is set, I'm going to have Rebecca join in with me and the other surgeons since she has never seen a break this intense been operated on before. Would that be okay?"

"Of course." She didn't really care considering she would be medically knocked out the entire time.

"Alright, well we will take you in now. It shouldn't take any longer than an hour." He directed to Hanna and Alison who both nodded.

"Good luck, Em." Hanna smiled before leaving the room.

"You'll be just fine." Alison said soothingly, noticing Emily's nerves.

"I'll see you soon." They shared a tender kiss before Alison reluctantly left, leaving Emily only with to two doctors. Pushing the bed passed the large doors and into a large white room there were three more surgeons dressed in the same attire as Doctor Carlton, they were preparing many tools and the antiseptic that would make her fall asleep.  
After five minutes she had moved from the comfortable bed to the harder and less appealing metal like slab in the middle of the room.  
She had never been in surgery before but she figured it was all standard, except for the fact that she was in a private day surgery instead of a hospital.

"Okay Emily, I'll get you to count backwards from ten." Doctor Carlton said as he placed a large mask over Emily's mouth, it noticeably smelt weird.

"Ten, nine... eight..." Her eyes shut within seconds and the darkness of the antiseptic took over.

Alison and Hanna waited in the reception lobby; it was dead silent besides the occasional ringing of the phone. Every so often the girl sitting at the desk would look over at Alison before shyly looking away.  
It was driving both girls crazy waiting for so long without speaking, Hanna was sure she was going to go mad if she remained in silence but there was nothing she could think of saying to Alison, it was hard forcing small talk with someone you idolised.  
Deciding she would stare at her phone made the hour go significantly faster, though several articles on her FaceBook page were pretty much dedicated to the quiet blonde next to her.  
Alison eyes were straight ahead but every so often when Hanna would look away from her phone and it made her curious, out of her peripherals she saw an image of her on the blonde's phone. Chuckling to herself she did seem to forget what it was like to be a normal person. Being so focused on by millions of people who all thought she was special, surprisingly made you feel so small, the world was huge and there was always someone new and exciting. In a time so used to change Alison had lost all sense of what was normal, she couldn't even remember what it was like to go to the shops for food or clothes without someone staring at her. It wasn't as though she didn't appreciate the time people took; it was more for someone so young to not experience everything a person should. She was sort of jealous, even now in a room with only three people, _she_ was the odd one out. She wondered briefly if the girl at reception actually liked her, or if she was staring at her because _that_ was considered normal. Would she ever be able to walk into a shopping centre and not have one single person stare? Probably not but eventually less and less people would care.  
Being famous was difficult because you were constantly being judged, for no apparent reason. You are never allowed to have a bad day and just not want to talk to people because that was your job. There were definitely some perks, many people loved you and couldn't care less what you did because even the ground you walked on was perfect but then there were others who would hate you, for no other reason than they didn't like what you did once and now will hold it against you forever, nothing you do will ever change their perspective.  
Alison had learnt a long time ago that no matter how hard she tried, she wasn't going to make everyone happy, so the only person's happiness she could ever assure was her own.  
Suddenly Rebecca walked through the doors that lead to the surgery room, smiling she walked over to Hanna and Alison who stood at her arrival.

"Is she okay?" Alison asked first.

"She's doing just fine, everything went smoothly, and she's in recovery now. She should be ready to leave soon."

More time passed, neither Alison nor Hanna was aware of how much but it was enough for Alison to finally force conversation.

"So how much does Spencer despise me?" She smiled when the blonde looked away from her phone and gave her full attention.

"Despise is a strong word." She chuckled lightly and Alison joined in.

"Does it bother _you_ that I'm still here, around Emily?"

"No, it's just weird. I think you forget that you're a celebrity, that's all."

"I'm still a human being." Alison countered lightly, figuring that this conversation was well over due with Hanna.

"I know, I just... man I love you! I thought you were amazing in A Night To Remember! That was the first movie you ever did, right? Gosh, you and James Pearson were so amazing in that! The story felt so real and that sex scene! I'll tell you something, Emily was super jealous." Hanna finally slowed her rambling to a stop when she realised how silly she sounded, she was practically gawking at Alison, right in front of her!

"Thank you. That was a fun movie."

"Well except for the dying part." Hanna interjected, feeling like she could still ramble for another half an hour.

"Oh yes, that was a hard scene," Alison remembered back to acting that scene out on the set, it was difficult considering she was playing a part that she was close with. "Because it was so sad." She covered quickly when she realised how her attitude may have seemed to Hanna.

"What's he like?"

"James? He's funny, very kind and lots of fun to work with."

"Gah, I think he's just as amazing as you." Hanna giggled playfully when she realise how childish she was being.

"Maybe you could meet him sometime."

Hanna's smiled enlarged as she let out a large squeal from excitement; Alison found the smile contagious and watched as the blonde repressed the urge to dance around the room. Controlling herself however she straightened herself and focused back on Alison.

"Did you and him ever...?" She trailed away.

"James? God no, he's like my big brother." Alison shook her head at the thought, yes she and James had _acted_ a scene like that together but that was different.

"But that photo, when you guys-"

"It's amazing what photoshop can do." She interrupted, knowing exactly what Hanna was talking about.  
Shortly after the premier of her first movie many scandals about her and James went viral, all were lies and fake photos, creating up a false relationship between them, it was normal but it was enough for Alison to get annoyed.

"Sorry, I don't mean to pry. I just always wondered what it would be like to meet you and _this_ was definitely not what I was expecting but I still have some many questions."

"Did you tell her about how you thought she was that attractive she made you question your sexuality, Han?" Emily's sleepy voice came from the surgery doors in a soft chuckle. One of the nurses had helped her get changed and had guided her back to the reception. Her arm was in an extravagant looking sling that held it tightly in place against her chest while her shoulder was bandaged from her next to her upper arm.  
Walking over both Alison and Hanna thanked the nurse for the assistance and looked protectively over the tired brunette.  
Hanna blushed a bright red when she made eye contact with the nurse who had a small smirk across her lips in regards to Emily's remark.

"Hey, I stand by that, your girl is hot Emily!" She recovered quickly and stuck her tongue out playfully.

"That she is indeed." Emily giggled when the two made eye contact.

"How are you feeling?" Alison changed the topic when Emily winced at a slight movement.

"I'm okay." She lied; she didn't really want to stress Alison out more than she already had. The pressure was obviously becoming too much and she felt bad enough.  
Alison noticed her terrible attempt at lying but decided to not point it out, for the time being anyway.

"Let's get you home." Alison murmured as she waved goodbye to the receptionist, ultimately making her day.  
Walking down the hallway to the elevator all three girls looked outside and noticed it was dark, it felt weird, like going into the movie theatres late in the afternoon and coming out when the sun was gone.  
Getting into Hanna's car was a struggle because Emily was so sore and tired but with assistance she was in the back and had her seatbelt on soon enough. Alison joined her in the backseat and held her hand comfortingly the entire drive while Hanna would occasionally sneak a peep in the rear view mirror.  
Pulling up outside the apartments Hanna stopped the car and turned to face the pair in the back.

"Do you guys need help up?"

"No, Han that's okay. Go home and enjoy some time to yourself." Emily's voice was very quiet but it was still kind and caring as always.  
Smiling Hanna waited until they were out of the car and heading up the pathway before pulling away from the curb and disappearing around the corner.

"It's kind of a dump, sorry." Emily whimpered as they made their ascent of the old stairs to her floor. Alison chuckled before helping her with the keys to the door and helping her in, it wasn't as though the apartment was actually messy, it had a few things lying around but nothing that Alison couldn't fix in five minutes once Emily was in bed. She had only seen it once but it reminded her of Emily, the photo frames, the furniture and all the little knick-knacks that made up Emily's life and personality. Turning around out of habit Alison locked both locks on the door and made sure it was secure before giving her attention back to the tired brunette.

"You're probably used to really extravagant things-"

"This perfect, Em." She interrupted as she guided the slow Emily down the hallway and into her room. It wasn't huge but it had enough space for a queen bed and a small television unit, which obviously was enough to make Emily happy.

"Thanks for letting me come home, I feel like I haven't been here in forever."

"Well I don't think Eric would be aware of you coming here, if he did he would've looked throughout the week. It's risky but I think Hanna was ready to kill us."

"Yeah, she and Caleb needed some alone time." They giggled together as Emily slowly and carefully sat on the bed.

"Plus Mason doesn't live far from here, so I think he's happier about that."

"So, for now... we're safe?" Emily yawned in between her words and began laying back into her pillows, sleep teasing her.

"Yes, for now." She said as she took her jacket off and lay down next to Emily. They were both flat on their backs with the hands touching and once the first time in a week enjoying the silence.  
Alison rolled over and leaned against Emily's uninjured side, wasting no time she lightly touched their lips and moved her hand to the brunette's cheek, soothing it with her thumb.  
Slowly the hand that was underneath her body began playing with the fabric of her loose shirt, as it rubbed against her skin it tickled her, causing a laugh to slip uncontrollable from her lips.

"Are you ticklish?" Emily whispered, noticing Alison's fidgeting under her touch.

"No." She lied, terribly.

"I'm going to remember that." Emily chuckled as she closed her eyes from exhaustion.  
Smiling Alison lay on her chest and began playing with the skin of her stomach and within minutes both girls were fast asleep.

Emily tossed and turned throughout the night, bumping her shoulder several times but by morning she felt significantly better and well rested. Opening her eyes she surprised not to see Alison anywhere, but there was some sound coming from the kitchen so slowly getting up she followed it. When she left her room there was the soft hum of music buzzing as she walked up the hallway that got louder as she got closer.  
She smiled when she found the blonde shaking her hips skilfully throughout the kitchen as she made breakfast. Sitting down on a chair at the bench she smiled when Alison was oblivious to her presence.  
She sang freely to whatever song was playing but Emily was too interested in how liberated she was, this was the most relaxed Emily had ever seen her. She turned around, jumping and blushing in unison when she realised Emily was watching her.

"How long have you been sitting there?" She exclaimed before composing herself and putting a bowl of pancake mix back on the bench.

"Not too long." Emily giggled.

"Well, what are you staring at then?" Alison shared her giggle.

"Nothing." She replied quickly while straightening her back. Alison looked up from the pancake mix she was still preparing and smirked playfully.

"Nothing, hey?" She walked around the bench, turning Emily's chair she moved between her legs and put her arms gently around her neck.

"Nothing." Emily repeated before swallowing as Alison's deep seductive tone vibrated in her chest. She let her capable arm move to the blonde's waist and grip tightly while playing with the fabric of her shirt.

"Nothing at all?" She closed the distance between them and dangled her lips teasingly close to Emily's. The brunette swallowed again and shook her head before slowly closing her eyes, as the small gap between their lips lessened she felt Alison's fingers tangle themselves in her dark brown locks. Their lips connected and sparks flew lively against their skin and as Alison's fingers continued to play with a gentle roughness in Emily's hair it created a sense of passion both girls didn't realise they were in desperate need of.

"Just the most beautiful person in the whole universe." Emily whispered through their kissing.

Alison felt her lips perk up into a chaste smile, Emily's words were so sweet the only thing she could seem to do was hold the brunette closer and kiss her harder. Passion flew heatedly against their skin as their lips meshed together and as Emily's hands began their journey underneath Alison's shirt and up her stomach both felt more passion ignite.

"I won't be able to stop if you keep that up." She whispered as Emily's lips made a fiery trail down her neck, each kiss creating more tension underneath her skin and anticipation to rise in her stomach.

"Who said we needed to stop?" Emily mumbled when her lips teasingly sucked and bit at Alison's neck while her free hand made its way up her stomach and to her chest, lightly touching the skin and causing more tension.

"You need to eat." Alison stopped her hand and reluctantly pulled it away before kissing the brunette's forehead and returning to the bench to finish the pancake mix.  
Smirking, Emily stood and moved behind the blonde, pressing her body against the bench and moving the long beautiful locks away from her neck, granting access for more kisses.  
Gently her hand went to Alison's waist and began the heated journey underneath her shirt, slowly but confidently she guided it around her stomach, playing and teasing with each movement. Giving in Alison released her hold on the pancake bowl and allowed one hand to go to the back of Emily's neck while the other mirror the brunette's hand.

"You don't give up easily, do you?" She whispered in defeat, moaning when Emily's hand moved up her chest and rubbed against her bra before moving down passed her waist.

"How could I?" Leisurely she moved her fingers passed the elastic of the slacks Alison had changed into the night before and dipped her fingers in the blonde's folds. "You're so wet."  
Emily's mouth was inches away as she whispered seductively in her ear, it drove her crazy and instantly all rational thinking disappeared as she turned around and drew the brunette into a deep and very passionate kiss.  
Responding, Emily pushed her further into the bench and moved the ingredients and pancake mixture carelessly to the side before lifting Alison up onto the cold surface with her free hand, with help of course from the blonde.

"I worked hard on that batter." Alison moaned and groaned in unison when she noticed some of the mixture had spilt in the havoc.

"I'll make more." She whispered.

"No one makes it as good as I do." Alison's hands were tangled in Emily's dark curls as she kissed up and down her chest.

"Is that so?" She challenged and seconds later Alison disconnected one hand from the brunette's hair and dipped a single finger into the mixture before presenting it to her lips.

"See for yourself."

Emily smiled and gently sucked the mixture off Alison's finger, moaning playfully when the content hit her tastebuds. She did have to admit, it was very good.

"You need to eat." Alison tried to move from the bench but Emily stood her ground and snuck some pancake mixture on her own fingers.

"Hold on, you've got something on your neck." She quickly rubbed her mixture covered fingers against her neck before the blonde could protest and giggled playfully while she almost squealed in displeasure.

"Oh my god! _Emily_!"

"I'll get it." She volunteered before quickly connecting her lips to the pancake covered part of Alison's neck, causing a chuckle to fall lightly from her lips.  
When she was done she moved so Alison could get down.

"You're very sly." Alison laughed. "But you need to eat."

"I'm not hungry, for food anyway." She wiggled her eyebrows causing Alison to roll her eyes before smiling.

"Calm down, killer. Sit." Alison commanded and Emily did as she was told. She spent the rest of the time watching Alison continue making the breakfast while dancing and singing softly. It was enjoyable because for the first time in a long time they both felt normal.  
Alison was enjoying the simplicity of the moment, having Emily be so playful and sexy reminded her of how easy things used to be. She had never felt so appreciative of the fact that for once meeting someone that at first didn't know who she was, made her happy.  
Emily made her happy because Emily didn't care, she didn't think about the publicity and to her, Alison was just a girl, "the most beautiful person in the whole universe".  
Alison knew she would never forget those words.

 _ **Hope everyone enjoyed! Sorry it's not overly intense in terms of the story line but I just needed at Emison fluff chapter :P  
Let me know what you think, okay? Leave a review, favourite and follow and all that jazz!  
If you've got any suggestions at all send me a private message too – I'm always up for requests :)**_

 _ **-Aemstar**_


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys I wanted to give you all some heads up, this isn't a super awesome chapter. But please don't hate me, I promise there is a reason for everything I write.  
Enjoy x**

 _ **Chapter Thirteen**_

Alison had been cleaning up from breakfast when Emily disappeared back to her room; it was obvious she was tired and recovering from surgery. Realising that she had been away from her real life for so long Alison looked down at her phone and saw countless emails, messages and missed calls that she didn't know how to deal with.  
It was not exactly the easiest situation anyone could be in and being so "high priority" to Mason only made things worse.  
Suddenly the phone buzzed to life, a blocked number filled the screen and normally she would ignore it but it was just a weird coincident that she was looking down the same time it buzzed so she answered out of curiosity.

"Hello?" She almost yawned, feeling tired herself.

"Am I keeping you up, Alison?" Eric's voice dominated through the phone huskily, causing Alison to stop everything and look around the apartment, for no apparent reason other than to make sure she was alone.

"On the contrary, I haven't been able to sleep decently for about a week because of you." She countered quickly.

"You know, I remember when you were that shy girl that walked into school on your first day. You were so young and innocent then. How ironic that your career changed you so drastically from the girl Luke thought he loved."

"Luke loved me." She whispered feeling already defeated by Eric's harsh words.

"He thought he did and look where it got him."

There was a silence that was filled only by the soft hum of the phone by Alison's hear, she couldn't help feel like she was being watched and though she knew it wasn't possible, it was difficult to think otherwise. Considering Eric was so illusive however, she felt maybe he knew where she was and that was something that did not comfort her at all.  
She hadn't thought clearly about Luke for a long time, every time it even passed her thoughts she shut down. It felt so long ago and yet she was still stuck in the present thinking about the past she couldn't change.

"It was an accident." She murmured.

"It wouldn't have happened if he was driving."

"You can't hate me, for something I didn't do." Alison figured if Eric was going to play mind she could participate, she wasn't going to allow him that power anymore.

"You know Alison; I don't think I would be so pissed if it weren't for the movie, you and James getting rich of that."

"It wasn't like that."

"Oh wasn't it? That's sure how it seems from the outset." She could hear the sound of a train passing not far from Eric's phone, and the sound of birds chirping innocently unaware of the situation in front of them.  
He was outside.  
Not that it really matter, he could still be anywhere.

"What do you want, Eric?"

"I already told you."

"Killing me isn't going to bring Luke back."

There was a silence again, it was long but surprisingly she didn't hang up, she didn't know why she was even still on the phone talking with him considering he had shot at her and tried to hurt Emily, but still she stood there patiently waiting. Waiting for him to hang up, waiting for him to speak. Waiting.  
But nothing, they just stood in silence and it was nerve racking. She didn't move, she didn't even breathe loudly, she just waited.

"It will give me some justice, knowing that his death was avenged."

"Do you really think he would want you, his best friend, to kill me? You knew about the baby and how much he wanted to keep it. He was excited to start a family and you think killing me will somehow bring justice to his death?"

"If he wanted to keep it so badly, why would you get rid of it after he died?"

"She." Alison whispered again. "The baby, was a girl and I didn't get rid of her."

"Well what happened to her then? She obviously didn't just disappear. Don't play me for a fool, Alison. I know you got rid of her."

"She died in the accident." Her words trembled as the conversation was unfolding, just thinking about what happened made her miserable but actually talking about it was so much more difficult, especially when the conversation was being forced.

"You're a liar! Next time you lie to me, I'll make Emily pay for it." Eric screamed, though his words were just as trembled as Alison but with his volume it caused her to pull the phone away from her ear only to hear seconds later the call being cut short. He had hung up and his final words were a threat to Emily and it made her panic, she needed to protect her.  
Dropping her phone on the bench she realised she was crying, this was definitely not how she saw the morning going but now the only thing she could seem to focus on was her past. Wiping away her tears she sniffed and turned around, almost jumping when she saw Emily standing in the hallway, her facial expression displeasing because she had heard a good percentage of the phone call.  
Being a mixture of scared and embarrassed, Alison collapsed and crawled into a ball under the weight and pressure of Eric's words and the baggage it dragged up. Quickly racing to her side Emily held her tightly to her chest, ignoring the pain that shot up her arm and into her shoulder when the blonde unknowingly knocked it.

"It's okay, it's okay." She repeated non-stop for about ten minutes before Alison's cries died down.

"Maybe everything would have been better if I had died in that accident." She whispered into Emily's chest.

"Don't say that, Ali." Emily knew the blonde was hurting but she also knew she wasn't thinking clearly and if anything speaking out of spite for how awfully Eric had spoken to her.

"You can't let him win."

"You don't understand, Emily." Alison suddenly pushed away from her and rose her voice unnecessarily, standing she began pacing aggressively around the room leaving Emily looking mildly shocked on the floor.

"Help me to understand then." She stood and tried holding the blonde, tried to calm her down but she merely lifted her arms defensively and shook her head.

"You can't, you've never had to deal with something like this. Just leave me alone." Alison walked back over to the kitchen and continued where she had left off before the phone call from Eric had distracted her.  
Standing shocked in the middle of the room Emily slouched her shoulders and walked back to her room, feeling her own tears falling uncontrollably from her eyes as she closed the door to block out Alison's loud cleaning.  
She knew that leaving the blonde alone was probably not the best for her in the moment but really she was too hurt to even think about being with her. Though Alison was speaking out of anger it was difficult for Emily to forgive her unexpected lash out so easily.  
Curling up onto the bed she felt more tears fall but she tried to remain positive, knowing that right now Alison did just need some time to think. That was the excuse she was using anyway, she didn't really have the courage to walk back out into the kitchen again and confront her, so instead she closed her eyes and tried to focus on anything but Alison and her aching shoulder.  
Tears seemed to fall even when she felt she had nothing left to give, it was disappointing to know that it was the first full day her and Alison would be together in her apartment and the blonde was mad at her.  
Luckily Alison was in a similar mind set when she had finally finished cleaning the last of the kitchen and had calmed down a little. When cleaning provided some time to clear the mist in her head she felt revived and somewhat refreshed, though she felt awful for taking so much angst and anger out on Emily. Lifting her shoulders she walked down the hallway and opened the door slightly, Emily was facing the closed blinds of the window but it was clear she was awake because she suddenly sniffed and wiped away at her eyes.

"Em..." She began but Emily remained quiet. Moving to the bed she moved herself securely behind the brunette and carefully let one hand touch her waist; however Emily didn't seem so impressed with the touch as she shifted her body slightly away.  
Catching the hint Alison stood from the bed and left the room, but less than five minutes later Emily emerged with a determined look on her face.

"You can't let him keep controlling you." She stated with her tone neutral but her facial expression displaying anger and hurt.

"Just like Paige wasn't controlling you?" Alison challenged quickly, ready for the fight Emily wanted to initiate.

"That's not fair." She replied with more pain evident in her tone.

"You don't understand-"

"Stop telling me I don't understand! Can't you just trust me enough to know that I'll do whatever it takes to even _try_ and figure out how to understand?"

Alison was standing midway between the kitchen and the living room; although there was no wall disconnecting them she would say she was closer to the lounge in the living room. She stood there awkwardly, unable to speak and unable to move, she just felt guilt spread through her and it seemed to be controlling every thought inside her head. There was no clear judgement and no rational thinking, so she just did what she always did. Lie. It was the only way she could protect Emily.

"No, I can't."

Emily looked like she had just been slapped Alison's words were that harsh, three little words and it almost shattered her to pieces.  
Alison knew she couldn't be there anymore with Emily because she couldn't protect her and she couldn't offer any form of protection.

"I can't do this." She whispered while making sure her eyes never once made contact with Emily's; knowing that if she looked into the chocolate brown orbs she would give in.

"What?" Emily stuttered as she tried to understand what she was telling her.

"I... don't want to do this." She lied again but somehow she seemed convincing enough for tears to fall from Emily's eyes.  
Quickly the brunette moved to her side and tried to hold her but she merely stepped back to grab her phone.

"Are you breaking up with me?" Emily tried to remain controlled but she was failing, the hurt of Alison moving away and the hurt of watching her finally looked in her eyes with no emotion was excruciatingly destructive.

"We were never really together, Emily." She was trying to make sure Emily didn't follow, she was making sure that when she left this apartment and drove away that Emily would stay, and she felt that this was the only way to do that.  
Standing by the door she took one last look at Emily before opening it and closing it behind her. She walked down the stairs and out of sight, sliding her phone open she sent Hanna a message.

 _Check on Emily_

It was all she sent but it was all she could manage, considering no matter what she said from that point on would matter to Emily or her friends.  
Getting in her car she drove away, not daring to even look up at the top floor window where she knew Emily was looking down and watching her drive away.

FOUR MONTHS LATER

"Thanks so much guys! That was the last box." Spencer walked into the room with four glasses and a bottle of wine.  
It was late on a Friday night and it was the end of finally moving the last of Spencer's things from her old apartment to her new one.  
Since they had really finished the weekend before, Spencer decided to leave one box that they could all unpack together for the end of the week. It was her old books and photos from high school that the girls reminisced for about two hours before she finally put it all away and brought out the drinks.

"It was our pleasure, Spence." Aria raised her glass first.

"Yeah, and now you can help me if I ever move." Hanna chuckled while raising her glass to Aria's glass.

"I didn't really do much, but you're welcome." Emily said softly as she joined the other girl's glasses, her arm was finally out of the sling and she was beginning her therapy for recovery, it was a slow journey but she was getting there.

"You did more than you should have." Spencer smiled gratefully. They all clinched their glasses and took a sip before sitting on the lounge out of exhaustion from their long days at work.  
Spencer turned her television on and left it on the news channel before turning back to the girls and make conversation about work and other things.

"So what happened to moving in a couple of weeks? Why did it take almost four months to do it?" Hanna questioned curiously

"This actually wasn't the original apartment I was going to move into; the landlord at the original was being a pain so I had to find a new place quick. It turns out this was much nicer and closer and somehow cheaper."

"Well that's excellent, how is the new job going?"

Before Spencer could answer a loud news story broke through the television causing all heads to turn and listen.

" _Big news on the Hollywood front again today as famous star and model Alison DiLaurentis was seen with her co-star to her new movie on an almost deserted beach not far from her summer home and our reporters say they looked cozy. For weeks now rumours have been spreading that Alison and Alyssa Miles have been together but none could have been confirmed until these images were taken."_

Photos began filling up across the screen and Emily suddenly felt violated and angry. Reaching for the remote she quickly switched it off before anymore images could flood her mind.  
There was a silence in the room that stuck uncomfortably and everyone's ear.

"Sorry Spence, you were saying about work?" Emily tried to avoid the inevitable looks that her friends were giving her. They all shared a displeased expression before looking back to her.

"Em..."

"It's fine, Spence. We're here for you."

Her three friends shared another displeased look before moving on with the conversation. It wasn't until almost eleven o'clock that Emily spoke again and it was only to say goodbye to Spencer and Aria when she and Hanna were heading back to Rosewood.  
The drive would be long if neither decided to speak but Hanna knew the only thing she really wanted to talk about was Alison, only to see if Emily was okay and she knew that wasn't going to sit well with the brunette.

"Have you heard from her since...?" Hanna tried, but she couldn't finish her whole question.

"No."

"Why don't you try calling her?"

"She changed her number." Emily had definitely tried calling Alison, nonstop for about a month but when the automated voice informed her that the number had been disconnected she had taken that as the final hint, stop trying.

"Em, I'm sure there was a reason for her leaving." Hanna was trying to make her feel better, though she, Spencer and Aria had been trying that for months with no result she couldn't help but continue to try.

"There was, she didn't want to be with me." It was a continuous black hole of dark emotion that Emily was stuck in; she felt there was nothing that stopped her hurting. Sure she could function in real life, she had been back at work, people did stare but at least she was doing something.  
She stared blackly out the window, knowing however that Hanna's eyes subtly took gaps in driving to observe her.  
Hanna didn't believe for a second that Alison didn't want to be with Emily, she just couldn't have changed her mind about someone that quickly, considering she had been so crazy about Emily the whole time they were together. She knew there was more to the story than Emily was telling but she wouldn't reveal a single detail.  
They didn't speak for the rest of the trip home and it was uncomfortable but finally Hanna had pulled up in front of Emily's place and turned to her carefully.

"You haven't been drinking again, have you?"

"I'll have a glass with dinner." She murmured softly in response, though Hanna knew it was a lie she didn't push. "Thanks for driving, Han."

"Anytime, see you at work on Monday?"

"Of course." Emily unclipped her seat belt and got out of the car, smiling and waving she watched Hanna drive away before walking up to her apartment.  
She stood in the doorway for about five minutes before bringing herself to walk into the kitchen, every inch of the place reminded her of Alison and she had only been there for one night.  
The day she left she had gone in such a rush she had left behind her black jacket.  
It still lay on the chair at the kitchen bench, waiting for Emily to do something with it but she merely stood metres away from it, willing it to disappear without her actually touching it.

Being unable to bring herself to, once again, not do anything with it but leave it hanging just like Alison had left her, she went to walk down the hallway to her room only to turn back seconds later and finally pick the jacket up and go to throw it in her empty bin.  
Deciding it wouldn't fit she threw it angrily to the side and turned to go back to her room, stopping however she turned back to look at the black fabric that lay so innocently on the ground.  
Slowly walking back she bent down and picked it up, bringing it to her nose she inhaled the sweet scent of Alison that still laced every inch of the item. Moments passed and she felt tears finally fall, it was the first time since Alison had left that she had actually cried and the months of repressing it had finally caught up.  
Letting her body hit the wall she scrunched the jacket tightly against her before sliding her body down the wall and curling her knees up to her chest, while not once letting go of the only thing that let Alison's memory seem so innocent.  
Tucking her head down into the jacket each breathe that she took let the blonde's sweet scent trigger a memory deep within her mind.  
The night they met.  
Their first kiss.  
Their second kiss.  
Every kiss.  
And their first time together.  
With each inhale Emily remembered everything and it only brought more pain and anger. Standing and composing herself she gently put the jacket on, even with so much time passed it was still difficult to use her injured arm.  
The jacket was loss even on her but she guessed Alison only got such a large size so no one would recognise her if she were to wear it.  
Walking into the kitchen she poured herself a large glass of whiskey before moving to the lounge in the living room. Making herself comfortable she switched the television on, avoiding news channels and anything that would show Alison, it was proving to be a difficult task however since Alison seemed to be everywhere.  
Deciding that a movie was the best option she played the first one that she could find and cuddled up on the lounge with Alison's jacket keeping her warm, placing the hood over her head she took small sips of her drink before needing to refill.  
The night passed slowly and eventually she found that her eyes were closing from the mixture of exhaustion and alcohol. The numbing sensation was finally taking over and she didn't feel so lost, when her eyes finally closed she let her mind wonder freely to wherever happiness would take her.

The next morning a small headache formed when Emily woke up, the reminding sensation that alcohol could make her feel better, but only momentarily. It was a dangerous thought but with everything that had happened it seemed like the easiest option.  
A soft knock at the door drove her attention away from the whiskey bottle, she didn't realise she had drunk so much but deciding she didn't care she stood and went to see who was at the door.  
Opening it she was surprised to be looking up at Alison's manager.

"Derek..." She croaked before clearing her throat. "What are you doing here?"

"I am here to make sure you aren't going to reveal any information that you and Alison may have exchanged in your relationship." He walked in without an invitation and nodded towards the door; shutting it Emily walked to the lounge and resumed her previous position.

"Didn't she tell you? We were never really together."

"That doesn't mean you didn't have some form of relationship, whether it be plutonic or romantic that doesn't matter, the relationship still existed."

"Not to her it didn't." She clutched to the jacket sleeves, reminding her that indeed what she and Alison had actually did happen, because sometimes it was hard to remember if it did or not.  
Derek looked at the jacket and realised immediately that it was Alison's and for the first time ever he seemed to feel disappointed that she was no longer with Emily, just looking at her made it obvious she was struggling and if it wasn't the jacket that gave it away it was the whiskey bottle that sat on the coffee table that did.

"I won't keep you for long; I just need to make sure, for Alison's safety that you won't say anything."

"Why did it take you four months to do this?" She crossed her arms curiously.

"Alison demanded I didn't see you, but I'm doing it anyway."

"How noble of you."

"My job is to make sure she will be okay." He sat down opposite Emily and looked between her and the bottle, from what he had heard the brunette had once struggle with the substance so it was displeasing to see it in front of her, though he wasn't sure if he was just being presumptuous or caring.

"And is she?"

There was a silence that Derek couldn't seem to fill, he didn't know what to say, considering Alison was not okay but she would never allow him to tell Emily, of all people, that.

"As fine as one can be with the media making up constant rumours about you. Will you please just sign this; it will give me a piece of mind that you won't say anything."

"I haven't before this point, so why would I now?"

Derek looked down and suddenly felt like he couldn't answer, however Emily caught on rather quickly about why he was there in her apartment.

"Because of her and Alyssa Miles? If she's with another person then good for her."

"It's a rumour." Derek shot defensively.

"Sure didn't seem it." She counteracted quickly.

"That was an edited photo from that news report; they were filming their new movie together. The beach they were on is a part of the scene, the media just edited out the cameras that were filming."

Emily observed Derek carefully, it was obvious he was telling the truth because he had no reason to lie to her but it didn't matter, Alison had gone and had moved on, it was as simple as that.

"Give me the paper." She mumbled, if having Derek here making her sign a piece of paper maybe it would help move on then she was all for it.  
Derek opened the brief case he had been holding the entire time and handed her a thick envelope. It was heavier than expected but she put it on the coffee table before giving her his attention again.

"I will read it and then see if I want to sign it."

Derek thought this was reasonable, so shutting his brief case he stood and walked to the door.

"You can send them in the mail; the address is on the back of the envelope." He opened the door and went to leave before stopping and turning back to Emily. "You should keep this locked."

He momentarily glanced at her in the black jacket before turning without another word and left, reminding her instantly of Alison and how demanding she used to be. Curling up on the lounge she stared at the envelope that held the Non Disclosure Agreement, knowing that behind the think yellow paper was more paper that would ultimately make forgetting about Alison so much more difficult.  
She spent all day looking at it, ignoring the buzzing of her phone and everything that seemed to happen in the outside world. The only thing she could seem to focus on was the paper and opening it, or more making the decision whether or not to open it.  
If she opened it, it meant that what happened was real, that she and Alison did have a relationship and that she wasn't imagining things for four months, but it also meant that nothing could ever happen again, it represented Alison's moving on and in a strange way she couldn't seem to accept it.  
The envelope, if she left it closed, would just be an envelope.  
Nothing more and nothing less.  
But if she were to open it, it would mean that she would have to relive everything and to pretend to the world that none of it happened at all.  
That was what that piece of paper meant.  
Deciding that she could not open the envelope just yet she turned to the whiskey bottle that had been staring at her all day, beckoning her to taste the sweet thick liquid that would help her forget. To remind her that even in dark times there was a way to forget everything and fill it with numbness.  
It was dangerous thinking but she couldn't help it and it seemed that even her friends being by her side and caring for her wasn't enough. She wanted to forget, she _needed_ to forget.  
Just momentarily.  
Until she didn't feel so consumed by Alison DiLaurentis, though in the back of her mind she knew it was impossible.  
Finishing her first glass within minutes she continued to stare emptily at the envelope, like it would somehow fix everything.

"Just open the damn envelope, Emily." She muttered bitterly to herself but even with her mind distracted with alcohol she couldn't bring herself to even reach for it and so instead she poured herself another glass.

"Sign it and be down with it."

The whiskey was strong and considering there was nothing to balance it out the effects of the third glass she poured herself moments later were becoming evident fast.  
Her vision was fuzzy and she could feel herself moving lazily from side to side. Suddenly all rational thinking was gone and now it was just her feelings and the envelope in a Mexican standoff.  
With the courage the alcohol provided she managed to grab the yellow paper and rip it open.  
Letting the paper fall out she wasn't surprised to see it neatly stapled into a obsessive compulsive state, it was probably ten papers long just by looking at it but she wasn't about to go looking for page numbers, though she had an inkling they would be there.  
The first page was just contact details and addresses that Emily didn't bother to read, considering it was all to do with Derek.  
When she made it to the full agreement she didn't seem to understand half of what was being said, whether that was the effect of the alcohol or just Derek being over compensating with his language.  
After almost an hour of reading Emily decided that the agreement was as fair as it could be, she had no need to change it since she was never going to be with Alison so it seem reasonable.  
As reasonable as a Non Disclosure Agreement could be anyway.

"Where have you been?" Alison questioned when Derek walked into her changing room.

"Nowhere important." He looked away subtly before looking over at Mason who hadn't left her side since he had started working for her again two months ago; his wife was in a protection program and was living with her mother until Eric was found.

"It's always important to you." She raised an eyebrow intrusively while looking between to two men.

"I was taking care of some business, if you must know." He justified quickly.

Alison sighed as her makeup artist, Jackie, looked nervously between the three before trying to continue with the blonde's eyeliner, being stopped however with a steady hand from her.

"Can you give us a minute? Go grab a coffee or something; you've been working hard all day."

Jackie smiled gratefully; Alison however wasn't sure if it was because she was having a break or if it was because she was being dismissed from an awkward conversation.

"What business?" She questioned when Jackie was gone.

"Nothing that concerns you." He seemed overly confident, which was a dangerous mixture with Alison around. She looked down at his brief case, usually he only had it with him when he had paper work to deliver or deal with but considering she was only half way through a movie contract at that moment, him to be carrying around paper work was consider odd, unless the business was Non Disclosure Agreements.  
Connecting the dots that slowly formed in front of her Alison watched as Derek and Mason exchanged more looks.

"Why are you getting in contact with Emily?" She directed at Derek.

"I was just getting her to sign an NDA, nothing important."

"I told you, I didn't want her to sign it."

"Alison, you are no longer connected with her so I did this as it's a part of my job. I protect your image as much as I endorse it."

There was an awkward silence in which both Mason and Derek shifted uncomfortably under Alison's stare.

"She won't reveal anything."

"I'm not so sure of that." He countered quickly, figuring if he was going to have this conversation he may as well justify satisfactorily why he did what he did.

"And why is that?" She crossed her arms and watched as Derek struggled for an answer. He even looked over at Mason for help, knowing a good percentage of the situation. Emily had been drinking and she was still struggling to find that spot where she could control it, with Alison however she had managed to find that power but it was obvious since the blonde's disappearance, mistakes were made.

"She's just..." Derek began but when Alison's darkened eyes gazed warningly at him, warning him to be careful of what he would say next, he couldn't find any words leaving his mouth.

"Losing control." Mason finished, his confidence radiated from his crossed arms.

"Losing control how?"

"She's drinking again." It was like a bomb shell had exploded destructively around her, the casings falling carelessly to the ground making each little blow that much worse. It wasn't as though it wouldn't have been an obvious outcome but Alison had always hoped Emily would keep it together, though clearly she couldn't.

"How do you know?" Her tone was significantly softer this time.

"You told me to check on her every so often." Mason told her, as if it was old news.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

There was another silence.

"Because..." Now Mason was the one who couldn't speak and Derek couldn't seem to think of what to say in order to save him from Alison wrath.

"The whole point of me asking you to check on her is to inform me if she is okay."

"She is okay."

"Getting drunk every day is not okay."

"It's not every day, Alison. And she doesn't get so drunk that she can't control herself." Mason was quick to defend Emily and her struggle but it still wasn't enough to completely satisfy Alison.

"Then why would both you and Derek tell me she's losing control?" She tried understanding what the two men were telling her but really every word they said contradicted the last.  
They shared a look before giving their attention back to Alison.

"When I saw her today, she was wearing your jacket."

Alison paused and let out a small sigh, though she would never admit it, the last four months had been unpleasant for her. With Eric still on the run and now the bad news about Emily it seemed the only good thing that happened was neither Emily nor Eric had crossed paths.  
Technically she was succeeding, Emily was safe and away from the danger that Eric took with him. But now there was another danger that no amount of protection like a body guard could keep Emily safe from. Herself.  
She was lashing out at the pain she was feeling, and what was worse was Alison had caused that pain.  
She had to fix it but she didn't know how.

"Keep checking up on her and make sure she remains unaware." She ordered Mason.

In that moment it was all she could do, though what she really wanted to do was run to Emily's side and never let her go. Knowing however something like that could never happen with them, if she wanted Emily safe.

 **I know you guys all probably hate me but it's all part of the plan. I promise it won't be like this for long. Expect good things okay? I love Emison so much, so please don't think I'm shutting them down!  
Give this a chance, okay? You know I'll make it worth it!**

 **-Aemstar**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey everyone! I'm really sorry it's been a while, but this chapter is super long that's why! So enjoy :) I hope you all like it (be nice if you didn't though – I'm all for** _ **constructive**_ **criticism)  
Enjoy!**

 **Chapter Fourteen**

Emily had lost all sense of time and date, she didn't even know what day it was half the time. Not because she was drunk but because she felt so emotionally lost.  
With Alison gone it was hard to identify the difference between reality and fantasy, because really, Alison was a combination of the two.  
She merely went off the last time she remember something to do with Alison that happened, it was four months and five days since she had gone, it had been five days since Derek had shown up at her door step giving her the Non Disclosure Agreement, five days since she had looked at it, five days since extended interaction with someone who was close to Alison.  
That was how she was functioning now.  
She had managed to keep up appearances in public; no one seemed to know that she was struggling with her loss of Alison. Even after four months, the occasional stares a work still happened when she left or entered a room, people couldn't seem to get over it. Or maybe they still couldn't believe it. Perhaps it was the sudden break up, suddenly they were together and then suddenly they weren't.

"What are you doing this weekend?" Hanna asked as they walked out of the elevator together, heading for their own cars.

"I guess just spring clean." She murmured her voice lifeless and dull.

"It's winter." Hanna raised an eyebrow, knowing Emily was lying.

"It's an expression."

"Spencer is coming up for a visit." She tried again, knowing that some social interaction for Emily was probably all she needed.

"That'll be good, is Aria?"

"No she's stuck in Phillie."

They had made it to their cars that were parked together, leaning against the cold metal Emily watched Hanna try to delicately dance around a question.

"She wants us to come out to dinner tonight."

"I'll be there." She didn't hesitate in answering, it wasn't as though she would block herself from her friends, and it was just becoming difficult to be so happy when really she didn't feel much at all. Instead she decided if she couldn't go out for herself she could go out for her friends. "Pick me up?"

"Yeah!" Hanna's face lifted instantly at her enthusiasm. "Seven?"

"Sounds good, see you then."

By the time she arrived home in the rush hour traffic it left Emily just over an hour to get ready and suddenly all the clothes she wanted to wear she felt she couldn't, considering for the last week the only thing she had worn was Alison's jacket. It still smelt of her, but Emily knew it was time she washed it, time to let go but she couldn't. It was as if washing it would make it disappear completely, however when she picked up the item that reminded her so greatly of Alison and walked over to her washing machine, it didn't seem as difficult to put it in a shut the lid. Turning the machine on to actually clean it however was another story.  
Turning away without switching the machine on she decided to do it later and instead get changed and ready for dinner.  
Soon enough the sound of Hanna's horn came from the street and Emily was locking up her apartment and rushing down the stairs.  
Dinner went well considering there was still the occasional stare from random people but somehow she was becoming used to it.  
Spencer was surprised to see Emily had actually come out but decided not to linger on the fact since it would probably only make her feel bad.  
They shared a few laughs and drank a few glasses of wine, and it felt like forever since Emily had actually laughed and smiled because she wanted too.  
Every so often she thought someone was watching her but she wasn't sure if she was imagining things or not, it was probably just the paranoia of being out and about.

"Emily?" She heard from behind her, the voice was quickly recognised, causing her to turn around quicker than what was probably socially acceptable.

"Paige." She stated, knowing that Hanna and Spencer wouldn't be happy with her appearance.

"How are you?"

"Good, what are you doing back from college?" Emily could feel Hanna shift next to her, and Spencer across the table shift as well. Both ready for anything Paige might decide to pull and she was aware of that. However she seemed to be acting completely normal.

"Just came to see my parents for the weekend. We actually just got here to have dinner, would you like to say hi?"

"We were actually just leaving." Hanna interjected while standing and throwing some money from her wallet onto the table; Spencer quickly copied and stood by Hanna who had a standoffish expression matched with crossed arms.

"Perhaps another time then." Paige said innocently while shrugging her shoulders. Standing, Emily gave her a smile; it was a bad attempt but an attempt none the less. She tried walking away when Paige moved in her direction but then quickly moving away when Spencer and Hanna joined Emily at her sides.

"Perhaps." She murmured before placing her own cash on the table and turning to leave. Hanna and Spencer paused momentarily to give Paige a warning expression before then joining Emily in exiting.

"How are dare she show up and pretend everything's okay." Hanna blurted out the moment they were outside and out of sight of all the bystanders who had been watching curiously in the restaurant.

"It's fine, Han." Emily mused as they made their way to the cars.

"You can really pick them, Em." Spencer sighed in frustration, although she regretted her words the moment they left her mouth but before she could apologise Hanna's phone buzzing broke them from focus.

"Oh goodness, Caleb is trying to cook food and he's burnt something, I've got to go home before he burns it down. Can you give Em a lift home Spence?"

Spencer gave a quick nod before Hanna got in her car and sped away, obviously Caleb was not meant to be a chef.

"Sorry." Spencer apologised quickly when she knew how insensitive her words were.

"It's okay."

They drove in silence and when Spencer pulled up in front of Emily's apartment she was half expecting the brunette to just get out without a word but when she didn't move at all she found that odd too.

"I need your help with something." It had been on her mind all night, and it was only now she finally had the courage to bring it up, perhaps it was Paige's appearance at dinner, she didn't know but she knew it had to be dealt with.

"What's wrong?"

"I need you to look at a Non Disclosure Agreement for me." There was a thick silence that lingered in the air as Spencer processed the brunette's words.

"Are you still seeing her?" She was looking directly ahead but it was clear even from Emily's angle that she was displeased with the idea.

"No, I haven't spoken to her since... anyway will you please come and look at it?"

"Why would you be signing it if you aren't seeing her anymore?"

"Are you coming up to look or not? Cause if you don't I'm just going to sign it without reading anything so I can be done with it."

Spencer unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car, smiling Emily followed before making her way up the stairs to her apartment, still having the unearthly feeling that she was being watched.  
Unlocking the door she suddenly felt the need to check every room in the apartment before decided against it and showing Spencer to the lounge.  
Sitting she pushed the yellow envelope that had been sitting in the same spot for almost a week over to Spencer who was sitting opposite her in the recliner chair.

"It's addressed to you; don't you want to read it with me?"

"I can't, not again." She looked over at a bottle of vodka that she had been savouring for about just under a week; though it was almost empty she considered this a triumph. Spencer looked over at the bottle as well, creasing her eyebrows before quickly looking away when Emily turned back to her.  
Opening the envelope she pulled out a neatly bounded series of papers stacked in an obsessively neat order, the way she liked it, however it was obvious it had already been read at least once.  
It took her half an hour to fully read it, there were lots of rules and regulations, and if Emily didn't follow even one the consequence could be extreme, too extreme for her personal liking.

"What do you think?" Emily questioned when Spencer put the envelope back on the coffee table.

"I think she's going through a lot of trouble to keep people quiet."

"She didn't bring this to me, her manager did. I'm pretty sure he's kept it from her."

"I don't see why it's so important, how much could you know about her that is so threatening to her career?" Spencer seemed unconvinced that there wasn't anything else to the story, there was no way Alison's manager would be insisting on a Non Disclosure Agreement if there wasn't something to hide.

"Enough." Emily mumbled

"Why is she so persistent on keeping everyone around her quiet?"

"I can't tell you Spence, you know I can't." She was struggling with some much stuck inside her head, the only way she knew how to cope was to drink but she knew Spencer wouldn't allow that to happen while she was around.

"You haven't signed anything yet."

"And you know that would be so wrong if I told you."

Spencer remained silent, proving Emily's point. They sat in silence while she contemplated what would be the most appropriate option, it wasn't as though it was an unreasonable Non Disclosure Agreement, it was more why it was being pushed so much.

"Well, it seems fine. It's up to you whether it needs changing. If you don't think it needs changing then okay, sign and be done with it. If you're not ready, don't sign."

"Ready?" She questioned honestly.

"From what I've read, it basically is stating that there will be no future contact between you and Alison. Here read paragraph four, appendix seven." She flicked to the page and slid the paper across the surface of the table; it stopped just before falling off the edge but Emily merely looked at it, as if it were accusing her of a disastrous crime.  
Slowly picking it up she noticed Spencer was watching her every move and suddenly she felt pressured. However ignoring the brunette's stares she let her eyes focus on the paper that was left open.

 **Appendix Seven:**

 **Clause 1; the receiving party will no longer participate in any further interaction, be physical or viral, with the disclosing party.**

 **Clause 2; once signed, any communicating from the receiving party will be denied.**

 **Clause 3; in accordance with state regulation the disclosing party can change this at any time, to the parties advantage but at no time can it be changed for the receiving party.**

 **Clause 4; with the understanding that there will be no further interaction or communication with disclosing party, the receiving party must abide by any changes made by the disclosing party.**

It seemed so simple when Emily read it intoxicated, the help of alcohol seemed to make it all innocent and easy but now that she was reading it with a clear head, she knew it wasn't.

"So I can't talk to her, ever again?"

"Unless she changes her mind."

Emily sat for a long time and held the paper tightly, this wasn't what she was expecting but at the same time she didn't expect any less. This was it, this was what Alison wanted.  
Standing from the lounge she moved to the kitchen bench where a pen sat innocently, grabbing it she walked back over to her usual spot and sat down. Flipping to the last paper she looked for the designated spot for her signature, pausing she felt tears form in the corner of her eyes however squinting them away when she noticed Spencer wary gaze.  
It took her almost thirty seconds to right her signature but when it was done she quickly shoved the papers back in the envelope and looked over at Spencer.

"Thanks for the help."

"Anytime." She managed, suddenly feeling guilt spread through her when she noticed how heartbroken Emily looked. "You don't have to send it straight away, you can think about it."

"I've done all the thinking I need, she isn't coming back."

"You seem so sure." Spencer didn't seem too convince with Emily's sudden decision in signing the papers, she didn't know if she was signing out of spite and hurt or if she actually wanted too. It wasn't something that could be undone once it was done.

"Aren't you? You disliked her the most."

She paused and decided that if Emily really wanted to move on and this was the way she was choosing to do it, she couldn't really stop her.  
Yes, she wasn't a fan of Alison but it wasn't because of whom she was, it was how Emily was affected by her presence. She was being hurt by the media, soccer players, and it wasn't as though doctors and the general public were being all that kind to her when they were "together".

"I suppose."

"Do you think I shouldn't send it?" Emily seemed confused by Spencer's on the fence behaviour, usually she was quite confidently on one side and she would stay there, it was odd.

"I think you should think about it, _without_ a drink in your system, it clouds your judgement." Her eyes moved over to the vodka bottle and lingered for sometime before she finally looked back at Emily. It was the first time in a long time that her alcohol problem was spoken of and now it just embarrassed her because it was a symbol of how weak she was.  
Sighing she stood and walked into the kitchen taking the bottle with her, putting it in one of the cupboards on the top shelf she turned and sat back down with Spencer.

"I won't drink tonight."

"Thank you, you know all we want for you is to be healthy and happy." Spencer was referring to her Hanna and Aria as well, since many times in the last four months the topic of conversation was Emily and her problems.

"I know, and I'm trying."

"That's all that matters." They shared a small smile. "I'd better go; Hanna will start wondering where I am. I won't tell her about this but I want you to think clearly about it. You may have signed it but she hasn't yet so it's not officially a legally binding contract. You can still rip it up if you change your mind."

Standing she moved to the front door and heard Emily follow, before opening the door they shared a small hug.

"Thanks, Spence."

"What are friends for? Night." She turned down the hallway and disappeared. Closing the door behind her Emily locked both locks out of paranoia and went to her washing machine, for pretty much the whole night she had been thinking about Alison's jacket and the NDA, and now with a clear head so felt it was time to do something she should have done the moment Alison left.  
Pulling out the jacket, she held it closely to her chest before walking away from the machine, never once thinking to even turn it on.  
Grabbing some paper from a desk by the front door and a pen she sat back down on the lounge and began writing, tears falling down her cheeks with each word she wrote.

"Alison, I've got a delivery here for you." It was Duncan voice that broke Alison from her thoughts, Duncan was one of Mason's new trainees, he was young and very innocent and protecting Alison was probably a big start for someone like him but she found his child-like wonder refreshing so she didn't complain.

"Okay, give me a second." She quickly threw on her dressing gown and walked out from behind her dressing quarters. She had been waiting for her makeup artist, Jackie, to finish with Alyssa's makeup and hair so they could get ready for their day of filming.  
When the door had opened she was kind of hoping it was Jackie but Duncan with a delivery was just as good.

"Here." He handed her a yellow envelope and instantly her face dropped, she knew exactly what it was and she could feel her heart rate accelerate out of fear.

"Thank you." She dismissed him before shutting the door and opened the enveloped that had been resealed with sticky tape.  
Pulling out the papers in a messy rush a secondary envelope fell to the floor, it was small and white, not what was usually in anything Derek organised but when she saw Emily's writing on the front she automatically knew it was something personal.  
It just said her name on the envelope so she figured it was something Derek wasn't allowed to see.  
Placing the NDA on her dressing table so picked up the envelope from Emily and opened it slowly.

 _Dear Alison,_

 _I don't know what I'm going to write exactly, considering I don't even know if you're going to read this. I'm just doing this to keep my head clear so I can figure out whether signing this agreement is the best thing to do or not.  
I know you're aware that Derek came to me without instruction from you; I know it was his idea but what I don't know is if this is what you want.  
At one stage I thought I did know what you wanted but now I see I was wrong.  
This agreement was hard to understand so I got help; Spencer is in law so she knows about the agreement, nothing else.  
Just the agreement, and just like you have Derek and Mason I needed someone to help me think this through.  
I apologise if that's not okay but I was lost and needed the guidance, I won't get any further help from her after this since I figured I won't be seeing you again._

 _I am thankful for everything you did Alison, you helped me more than you know, I know this isn't fair of me to say because you leaving was your choice, I shouldn't make it harder because that's not who I am but... I guess you changed me.  
You changed my life.  
And for the brief time we had together, well... it was the best time of my life. I won't forget it.  
But since this is strictly a business transaction I won't linger on our relationship.  
Enclosed in this envelope is a cheque for my surgery and doctors appointment that you paid for, I know you said you have money to spare but out of respect I cannot accept your gesture, it wouldn't be right.  
Please, cash it when you can, Alison.  
Also, please stay safe.  
I know you've got people to protect you but your thoughts can be your worst enemy and I know you still focus on what happened to Luke and I know people tell you constantly it wasn't your fault. If it's not what you want to hear I won't say it, because there's nothing worse than a broken record playing over and over again.  
Do what you think is right but also do what will make you happy.  
You still deserve it, even though you think you don't but please, try and forgive yourself for what happened. If not for yourself, than for Luke.  
I have decided to go through with this agreement because I feel, somewhere deep in my heart, that you want this. I know this agreement can't be changed unless you want it to but I don't think it will, you seemed pretty convinced when you left that there was nothing between us, you made that crystal clear.  
So, I guess I do know what I'm going to write.  
So here it is.  
Forgive me, I'm keeping your jacket that you left here, I can't seem to let it go just like I can't let go of you, I know that probably seems pathetic to you but I guess... I guess I'm just going to be selfish. I'm sorry.  
Thank you for showing me that there is more to life than what I saw before I met you, that I can be happy, that I deserve to be happy, though it will be difficult without you, I know eventually it'll be possible._

 _Goodbye, Ali. I'll never forget you._

The paper was marked with clear water stains, indicating that Emily had been crying when she had written it, which only made Alison's tears fall that much more.  
Sitting down she reread the letter several times, and it was as if Emily's voice was saying it over and over in her head. _Goodbye, Ali. I'll never forget you.  
_ Reading Emily's thoughts on paper made her pain seem all the more real, for four months she had been thinking, or allowing herself to believe, that Emily was okay. Though she knew it wasn't, and it was naive to think like that. Considering Emily had meant so much to her, obviously she meant the same to Emily and she was selfish to leave her in such a distort state.  
She had spent four months convincing herself that what she did was right, or at least the best for Emily.  
She felt tears fall uncontrollably from her eye as she put the letter down and looked at the NDA, flicking to the final page she was somewhat hoping that she would find no sign of Emily's signature, but when she looked at the receiving party signature slot it sat there, waiting for her to acknowledge it, waiting, waiting for her signature to join it on the other side of the page. _  
_A sudden knock at the door broke her from her thoughts; quickly sniffing she wiped her tears and put the papers back in her envelope, folding the letter carefully back together she placed it in her bag and straightened her gown.

"Come in." Her voice cracked but as she adjusted her hair in the mirror Jackie slowly poked her head through the door, making sure she was allowed to enter. "Hi Jackie."

"Miss DiLaurentis." She murmured as she walked in, clearly seeing Alison's tear struck cheeks. "I'm ready when you are."

"I just need to get changed, did you bring the skins?"

"Yeah, I will do your whole body makeup when you're dressed."

It took Alison almost ten minutes to get into her skins, they covered her chest and waist like a bikini while presenting the idea that she was nude, since they were filming a shower scene that day it was going to be long and uncomfortable but she was so concentrated on Emily's letter that nothing else seemed to matter. Putting on her dressing gown again she moved out from behind her changing quarters and sat down in her usual chair in front of the mirror.

"What do you want to do first? Face or body?"

"Whichever is easiest." She was being short and distance; she couldn't get Emily's words out of her head and it was clear to Jackie that she was struggling.

"Stay seated, I'll do your face first."

It took almost half an hour to get the makeup exactly right before Jackie was completely satisfied but when the time came for her to check Alison's body for any marks to cover it she suddenly felt awkward. Not that she should because it was her job.  
Alison shrugged out of her dressing gown without even being asked, she had done this before. It was something she was somewhat used to and besides, she was covered so it wasn't as if Jackie could see anything.  
At the blonde's confidence she quickly inspected her body front first, touching up how the skin colour underwear sat and then moved to her back, pausing in shock when she saw a large bruise sitting from underneath her shoulder blade moving down her spine.

"Miss DiLaurentis..."

"Jackie, please just call me Alison." Alison mumbled, oblivious to Jackie's horror struck face.

"Alison... what's on your back?" She couldn't bring herself to even point at the blonde's back let alone touch it.  
Raising her eyebrows curiously Alison turned her back to the mirror and tried to look at what Jackie could have been talking about.  
Sure enough when she twisted her neck slightly to change her view a large, deep purple bruise resided below her shoulder caught her attention, though really it wasn't as though you could miss it, since it cover half her back.

"Don't worry about it, its normal. I get them sometimes."

"It looks painful." The petite girl muttered, feeling bad that Alison was brushing it aside as if it were nothing.

"It's fine, can you cover it up or not?"

"I'd have to keep reapplying makeup because you're doing a scene that involves a lot of water contact."

They both knew the director wouldn't be happy with constant stopping and starting, hence Jackie's discomfort on the option.

"Okay, what else can you do?"

"I could try a tight shirt skin? It'll be noticeable but not on camera."

"Let's do that." Alison sighed in relief and how helpful Jackie as being and as she began searching through what she called "her bag of tricks" Alison was beginning to think it really was when she pulled out a skin coloured shirt.  
They were ready efficiently quick and when a crew member knocked on the door to tell Alison they were ready to film and she suddenly felt the need to have someone relax her, normally Emily would have said something funny and witty and in turn cooling her nerves.  
But Emily wasn't there and just thinking about her made Alison's heart sink in pain.

"You'll be okay." Jackie said comfortingly before Alison turned to leave the room.

"Okay, here's what's happening..." Derek was at Alison's side as he began the usual process of filling her in with everything she already knew. They would go through the script, who was in the scene and what the director was after, it was like she was warming up before being thrown on the a sporting field. She zoned out and before she knew it she was standing on set ready waiting for Alyssa to join.

"Hey. You alright?" Alyssa broke her from her thoughts; she was tired and suddenly had no energy to even think of doing a scene.

"I'm fine." She smiled casually, noticing that Alyssa had already taken her dressing gown off and her makeup artist was at her side double checking any changes that may have happened in her trip.

"I hate doing these scenes." She said to Alison, ignoring the makeup artist that was poking around her body.

"I'd say you get used to them but you don't." At her side Alison felt Jackie quickly reach for her gown as the director, Gary, started wailing at them to hurry up. Noticing straight away that the blonde was wearing a full chest skin he quickly stood at her side to investigate.

"Any reason you are wearing that?" He almost yelled, his voice unimpressed and clearly rushed.

"I didn't have half skins." She lied innocently.

"This isn't what I asked for."

"It isn't noticeable from the cameras, besides I thought you were in a rush?" His eyebrows rose in an ironic twist before sighing in frustration and moving back to his spot behind the cameras.

"That was risky." Alyssa commented when her makeup artist had finished the final touches to her pitch black hair, it was flowing freely passed her shoulders, perfectly placed until the moment it would be soaked in the fake shower the crew had made for the set. Scene's like these were always long and frustrating because it was a lot of stopping and starting for the most minor details.

"What's he gonna do?" She felt a small cough gather in the back of her throat, stopping her midsentence before she could continue. "Fire me?"

"Good point." Alyssa chuckled.

"Alright girls! Come on, let's get started." Someone called from behind the cameras. Moments later they were going through the scene, the writer of the script had explained to them what they wanted and how it would be done and before they knew it Alison was standing in a fake shower while Gary yelled 'action'.  
Just like she was told she moved her hand delicately to the faucet, turning it on she let the pre-warmed water flush over her, forgetting that the cameras were watching her every move she was ready for Alyssa's entrance.

"Alright Alyssa, enter." Gary called, not worried about his voice being in the film because it would be changed in editing later. Like all films, it was done this way, in fact every five seconds someone was yelling out a command if there wasn't any dialogue.  
She felt a pair of hands move to her waist, it was what she was expecting but she didn't like the feeling, however forcing herself to fake a sigh of relief due to the contact she felt Alyssa's hands move from her waist to her neck, moving the wet hair that had fallen in her path.  
Uncontrollably she felt her chest constrict and let out a large cough, causing not only her actions to stop but also Alyssa's.

"Cut!" Gary called and the water flow stopped; he was clearly unimpressed with the fact that filming had to be stopped.

"We didn't need to stop, Gary." Alyssa began, quick to defend Alison who was rubbing her temples in an attempt to repress the headache that was forming. "A cough is easily cut out."

"Okay, roll it from where you enter." They began to set the cameras back to the starter position, giving Alyssa enough time to question Alison.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm just tired, the sooner this is done the better." It wasn't as though she was lying, she was tired but it wasn't really what was bothering her. It was the combination of how sick she was feeling and how much she was missing Emily, no matter how hard she tried she could still see Emily's tears on the letter and it was breaking her heart.

"Action!"

The scene repeated and Alison had managed to make it through without a problem, not physically anyway. She felt like she was betraying Emily just by having Alyssa touch her but really she had already betrayed the brunette when she left her.

"Okay, that was good. Go for another take, change cameras."

As the camera's changed the positions the makeup artists did a quick check of everyone's makeup and hair, considering it was wet they had to make sure it was position the same as it was when it was filmed.  
Minute's passed and suddenly Alyssa's hands were on Alison's waist again, she seemed to be losing concept of time and even her vision was beginning to take its toll from her exhausted state.  
As Alyssa turned Alison around in the shower and pressed her against the wall she felt lips collide with her neck.  
Tired and disorientated she felt her legs give way, only to subconsciously catch herself with the help of Alyssa who wiped the wet hair away from her face as she forced her eyes to focus on reality.

"Alison?" Alyssa's voice came from a distance. "Get Mason." She commanded to Jackie who had somehow been at her side quicker than anybody else in the crew.  
Shortly however Gary and Mason were at Alison's side with a towel, wrapping her up they helped her to the closest chair and sat her down.

"Alison?" Mason tried and this time she managed to focus.

"I'm okay." She murmured, though it was a clear lie Gary seemed convinced and almost demanded her back on the set.

"Something's wrong." Mason interrupted, placing his hand underneath her chin and twisting it gently from side to side. "Her eyes are dilated. She needs a doctor, now."

"Come on Ali, can you stand up?" Jackie's voice seemed cool and calm, just like Mason's and Alison was sure she would be panicking if she wasn't so tired and sore. Her back was aching and her chest was heavy like there wasn't enough air getting to her system, and yet, she wasn't panicking as her thought's consisted of Emily and how much she missed her.

"I don't want to force her." Mason quickly wrapped his arms around Alison's back and picked her up, causing pain to shoot through her body but she tried her hardest to repress the cries of pain.  
Quickly Mason weavved in and out of the crew that had circled in to watch what was going on, somewhere in the distance Gary was getting angry while Alyssa tried to calm him down.  
As time passed silence filled Alison's ears and she felt a bed against her back.  
Looking around she noticed the environment as her bedroom but she didn't remember how she got there.

"Alison?" She heard voices call but her vision was still blurry, it was like the world was constantly spinning and no matter how hard she focused on one place it would still move uncontrollably.

"How did I get home?" She asked, trying to make sense of what was happening to her.

"I drove you." Mason was at her side, feeling her temperature. "Jackie, I need you to call this doctor and tell her we need to see her right away."

As Alison forced herself to look for Jackie in the room she also noticed the two exchange some clothing.

"Mason, maybe I should dress her? Why don't you call the doctor? You're much harder to say no to than I am." She offered kindly.

"Good idea." Mason quickly handed her back the clothing before departing the room.

"Alison? Are you alright?" She asked softly.

"What's going on?" Alison mumbled incoherently, her chest still heavy with the need to cough but her lungs didn't have to strength to muster one up.

"We're going to find out for you, is it alright if I dress you?"

She nodded before making herself lift up, only to have to world spinning again. She was surprisingly dressed quickly, even before Mason had managed to get back from making his call. Lying down she felt her body crawl up into a ball as if the motion would stop the disorientating feeling but it only caused a small but painfully needed cough to fall from her chest.

"Alison, please, what's on your back? Did someone hit you?" Jackie asked as she disregarded off the still wet skins and the towel at the other end of the room.

"No, I just get it sometimes." Alison wanted to say she got it quite frequently ever since her accident but Jackie knew nothing of what had happened.  
Moments later Mason was in the room again and he was rubbing his head, both girls were curiously as to why until Derek filed in after him.

"She will be here soon."

"What's wrong then?" Jackie questioned, standing up from the bed by Alison's side while moving to Mason.

"The news spread quickly from the studio to the media. They are already aware Alison isn't well." Derek seemed more frustrated about the media attention then Alison's wellbeing which didn't sit well with Mason at all.

"Right now, her health is my priority. If you are going to be frustrating I'll kick you out myself."

Alison would have snickered if she wasn't in the state she was, Mason taking control over Derek was not something she'd ever thought she'd see, mainly because her body guard was always very quiet and reserved, but ever since he met Emily he had come out of his shell.  
They paced around the room for what felt like an eternity, every so often Mason would have to make sure Alison didn't lose consciousness because he didn't know if it was the safest option, it was difficult to stay awake however when her eyelids felt like a tonne each.  
After patiently waiting Mason left when he received a message, only to return moments later with the doctor, Alison knew her as Cece her old childhood friend but everyone else called her Charlotte. It was weird to see Cece dressed so professionally, but it was nice to have someone so close be the one she could go to in time of need.  
She was smart, witty and very confident.  
She hadn't seen much of Cece the moment she left for college however because becoming a doctor was a full time education.

"What's going on, Ali?" She was at Alison's side within seconds; the small brief case she had with her was on the ground and opened as she reached for her stethoscope.

"I'm just dizzy, I'm okay Cece."

"You're such a terrible liar, that's odd considering you used to be quite the opposite." She laughed before unbutton Alison's shirt and placing the cold stethoscope against her chest and listened to her heart beat.

"Tell me, what happened?"

"They were filming a shower scene and she coughed. We have wasted a full day of shooting now." Derek commented before anyone else could answer.

"Okay, out you go." Mason gently pulled on Derek's suit before escorting him out of the room.

"So what happened?" Cece repeated as if nothing had happened. She moved across Alison's chest and stomach, listening hard for anything out of the ordinary.

"I don't really remember. I'm losing a lot of time. I remember falling a little in the shower, while we were filming because my legs gave out and then the next thing I know I'm wrapped in a towel and I'm here."

"Okay, are you dizzy now?" She moved the stethoscope around Alison's side, sitting just behind her ribs, causing a small amount of pain to formulate from her bruise.

"Yes." Wincing subconsciously she tried to take deep breathes to suppress the pain.

"What's wrong with your back?" Cece picked up straight away that there was a problem and as Alison went to speak the sassy blonde interrupted her. "And don't say 'nothing' because I'll smack you silly if you do."

Jackie had been quiet the whole time as she watched Cece and Alison talk; they obviously seemed close because there was no way a doctor would talk to their patient like that. She even raised an eyebrow before Mason quickly returned into the room, free of Derek.

"Turn over." Cece commanded when Alison didn't answer. Doing as she was told Alison somehow managed to turn her body around and she felt Cece's hands investigate underneath her shirt only to stop and when she saw the large bruise.

"Alison, what is that?" Mason questioned quickly, his body guarding duties taking control when he saw what lay so largely on Alison's back.

"When did this happen, Ali?" Cece ignored Mason, knowing that his panicked behaviour was not going to help the situation.

"I just get it sometimes, it's nothing."

"That is not nothing." Mason interrupted and Cece turned to him with raised eyebrows.

"Can you go get me a drink? I need to check the rest of her body anyway; I would appreciate some privacy for a few moments." Cece was sweet and yet so demanding at the same time, there was no way Mason was going to disagree with her, so he turned and left the room while Jackie followed, feeling like it was no longer her place to be hovering.

"When did you get this?" Cece's sweet tone was long gone when Mason and Jackie left, she was now a concerned friend and doctor who was getting the information she needed to help Alison.

"This one I don't know, I just get bruises like that sometimes."

"Alison, this is serious. Are there anymore?" She lifted the shift completely up Alison's back while inspecting the bruise.

"I'm not sure."

"Okay, well I need you to get a few tests done..."

Cece and Alison spent over ten minutes talking but not once did she leave Alison's side, even when she got the emergency blood tests done in such a hurry and for the rest of the day and a good percentage of the evening Alison was in and out of private doctors offices and even had x-rays and MRI scans.  
By the time she had returned home, Mason and Cece looked just as tired as she was because they had to help her walk around.  
Lying in her bed she felt Cece's warm hands on her forehead, obviously checking her temperature.

"You should tell Emily." Mason said, his voice strong and almost demanding however he was almost regretting it the moment Alison looked at him. Her dizziness had died down after some medication a doctor had prescribed her had taken its effects.

"I can't. Eric is still out there." She felt hopeless, an emotion she wasn't used to.

"She deserves to know and she deserves to find out from you. Not the media and you know they'll find out more eventually." She processed his words before looking over at Cece who had been surprisingly quiet for most of the night.

"I can't, and don't you tell her either, I know you're thinking it." Mason remained quiet as he contemplated disobeying orders for the first time ever. "I'm warning you, Daniel. Don't do it."

It was the first time Alison had ever used his first name, indicated that she was serious. He bowed his head in respect, letting the topic go as he knew it wasn't his place to challenge what she said.

"Thank you." She cooled down before looking over to Cece. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just thinking."

"About?" She pushed as it was clear there was something causing a deep and worried look to shadow Cece's expression.

"It's nothing to worry about, Ali. You need sleep, okay? I'll stay in the guest room and if you need me I won't be far." As Cece tucked the sheet's around Alison Mason said his goodnights and disappeared, like he always did when it was the end of the day.

Emily had been spending most of her time in her apartment and with everything one could do in such a small living space was done she had suddenly the need to do more.  
She had cleaned everything, from top to bottom and her apartment had never been so clean. She was filling in time and time seemed to go slowly, no matter what she did.  
When she felt she had run out of things to do she moved over to the mini washing line that held some of her clean clothes and hanging on the outer line was Alison's black jacket.  
When she had sent the NDA back along with her letter she had gathered up the courage to finally wash it, and with it, the scent of Alison. Though it still hurt she would always have the actual jacket and it would always be something special to remember her by, even if she could never see her again.  
Picking it up being thankful that it was dry she put it on, deciding that something warm and comforting was all she needed, instead of the bottles of alcohol that sat around the kitchen.  
The sudden buzzing of her phone broke her away from the thoughts that lingered in her head.

"Hey Spence." She greeted when she looked at the caller ID.

"Hey, just getting an update on the NDA."

"I sent it." She answered and there was a long silence in return. "She's not coming back."

"Em... maybe you should look at the News-" But before Spencer could finish her sentence a loud thud came from the door that even she could hear from the phone.

"Hold on." Emily whispered nervously before taking a small step towards the door. Making herself check the peep hole she relaxed instantly when she saw the person on the other side. "Spence, I gotta go. I'll call you later."

She hung up the phone before Spencer could finish talking and unlocked both locks to the door, swinging it open she almost kicked the person on the other side.

"You scared the crap out of me, Mason." Emily exclaimed, calming herself still from the loud knocking on her door.

"Sorry." His voice was hoarse and tired, his expression was unsettlingly negative and it wasn't what she was expecting from his visit.

"What's wrong?" She picked up on the atmosphere instantly, quickly understanding that his visit was not a positive one.

"It's Alison..." He started, but when he looked in Emily's eyes he couldn't seem to finish so he bowed his head.

"What about her? Is she okay? What happened?" Suddenly every bad possible scenario bolted dangerously through Emily's mind and quickly all bitterness to the blonde's leaving was forgotten. Mason took a deep breath and looked at Emily again, finally managing to give her the answer she was after.

"She's in trouble. She needs you."

 **Okay, so I know a few people were unhappy about the sudden break up but this story has always been a fairly fast paced story, I do apologise if you didn't like it but I felt it was important to the story, for those who left comments thank you, I am always thankful for any reviews of course but I'm sorry to the people who thought it was rushed. I promise there's always a reason.  
Now, I'm using Cece as a character because I really like her, regardless of her outcome in the final. I believe she and Alison work well together, this is why I used her.  
I hope you guys liked this chapter, I really enjoyed writing it. You will find out what's wrong with Alison next chapter (promise) and for a long while I have been planning this so I have been trying to make it work in a "not rushed" manner.  
Please let me know what you think (positive or negative) I like the feedback – but do be nice :P **

**Thanks as always guys! You are all so wonderful and it's a pleasure writing for you :)**

 **Oh and ElsaFowl – you are amazing! Truly, truly amazing!**

 **-Aemstar**


	15. Chapter 15

_**Chapter Fifteen**_

"She needs me?" Emily blurted out sarcastically and Mason was shocked with her reaction.

"Yes." He stuttered nervously.

"She didn't need me the last four months." Emily's words were bitter and filled with anger though the thought of Alison in trouble and needing her help did linger she tried to force herself to remember how painful the last four months were.

"She... I can't tell you, but Alison _is_ in trouble Emily, she's just hiding but I won't tell you what has happened. The last week has been unbearable for her and-"

"The last _four months_ have been _hell_ for me Mason; does she care about that at all? And further more Alison isn't the one standing here asking for help. _You're_ here; she can't possibly be in too much trouble if you're the one asking." Emily interrupted him because she decided she didn't want to hear Alison's excuses coming from her body guard.

"She doesn't even know I'm here and for a week I thought I wasn't going to come, I had spent most of that time convincing myself not to get on a plane and drag you to her but I couldn't do it anymore, I couldn't watch her in pain."

"What kind of pain?" Emily's tone dropped from its bitter dullness to a concerned tone.

"I won't tell you, _she_ needs to, for both your sakes." Mason was determined and in that moment Emily knew the only way she was going to find out what was wrong with Alison was if she went and saw the blonde herself. Grabbing Alison's black jacket that was lying on the coat rack behind the door and her keys she shut the door and gave Mason the 'you win' look.  
Following him down stairs she pulled out her phone and sent a message to Hanna.

 **It's a long story that I don't fully know myself, I probably couldn't tell you if I knew anyway but you can probably guess who it's about if that's the case.  
I'll be back in a few days, I'm sorry I can't tell you more xx**

 **p.s I hope Caleb didn't burn the house down**

 **-Em**

She would've laughed but her mood was not even close to positive and though it was the dead of night she still felt like millions of eyes were on her. Getting in the taxi that had been waiting the whole time Emily she sat quietly beside Mason as they drove to Philadelphia airport, she didn't bother to offer paying for her own ticket or the cab ride because she knew what Mason was like.

"Did you come straight from the airport?"

"Yes."

"How does she not know you're here?" Emily asked mildly astonished that Mason had indeed disobeyed a command from Alison DiLaurentis.

"I told her my wife was having troubles with the baby, which is sort of true but it's more she's freaking out about being so big during pregnancy." The shared a half-arsed chuckle before sitting down and waited for their flight to be called.

"Why can't you just tell me?"

"Because it wouldn't be right for you to find out through me, and I definitely don't want you to find out from a news article or something."

Emily was half expecting it to be Alison was in a serious relationship, but really that seemed a bit extreme to fly her almost half way across the country to provide Alison with the opportunity to tell her in person, though she never really knew what to expect with Mason or Alison.  
The flight was long and uncomfortable; considering Mason had been quiet a good percentage of the trip. He wouldn't tell her what was going on and it was driving her crazy.  
Though she had spent the time on the flight convincing herself that no matter what trouble Alison was in or how hard it would be to see her, she would not just give in and let herself forgive the blonde easily.  
She had spent four months on lock down, hiding away from the rest of the world in hopes she wouldn't feel so hurt. She wasn't about to let Alison back in and provide her with the chance of doing the same thing twice.  
Though the thought was there, haunting her, taunting her to give in and forget all that had happened, in the hopes that maybe Alison would be okay, she had no idea what was wrong because _Mason wouldn't tell her_!  
As they got off the plane Mason was close by her side right up until she was in the back of the Range Rover that was parked in a private parking lot of the airport. He was driving fast but it was still legal, though it didn't feel any less nerve racking when car horns were going off every thirty seconds.

"Mason, just tell me what's going on!" Emily finally burst from repressing so many questions.

"I'm not supposed to tell you, I'm not even supposed to be doing this." He reminded her, his voice was still tired and hoarse.

"Well you've already broken the rules, you may as well tell me."

" _She_ should tell you." He said as he skilfully weaved in and out of traffic. It was a bright sunny day, there was no clouds in sight and it wasn't an environment Emily was used to, she was thankful for tinted windows on the Range Rover.

"And what if she doesn't?" She challenged but Mason remained quiet for a long time and when it seemed like he wasn't going to answer she gave up in her battle.  
Minutes passed and then suddenly the car was stopped in front a large set of tall black gates, similar to the ones that had surrounds Alison's old property back in Rosewood. Putting the window down Mason pressed the small button on the security box beside the entrance and waited.

"Identification, please." A robotic voice buzzed through the machine, causing Mason to lean out of the car slightly.

"Daniel Mason." He vocalised clearly.

"Identification accepted," The voice buzzed again. "Access password."

"Echo, Foxtrot. Too Fife, Zeero, Ait."

"Access granted, welcome back Daniel Mason."

Emily silently waited in the back of the car and tried to decipher the code that Mason had just presented; since her dad was a marine she had heard him use the codes every so often.  
Echo meant E, Foxtrot meant F, Too meant the number two, fife was five, Zeero and ait was eight.  
 _EF2508  
_ What did that mean? What was the significance? She didn't want to read into things too much but she had a hunch the EF was her initials, but she couldn't quite figure out the numbers and what they meant.

"She _will_ tell you." Mason murmured before driving up the gravel path when the gates had fully opened to what Emily assumed to be Alison's house, it was sheltered with large trees but even she could tell the home was basically a mansion. Stopping the car at the front steps Mason got out and went to open the door only to be beaten when Emily almost jumped out of the car and made her way up the stairs and towards the door. Following short on her tail he stopped her at the door and made sure he had her full attention.

"You have to be careful, Emily."

"Let me see her." She demanded and with a sigh he opened the door and guided her through the large hallways of Alison's home, however she didn't bother to take any detail in as she was too focused on where she was being taken.  
Walking up a large amount of stairs to the second level she found Mason twisting in and out of different corridors, and by that point the only thought that seemed to cross Emily's mind was; _how could one person need all this space_?  
Stopping at the very end of the corridor Mason placed his hand on the door knob and paused, only causing Emily's anticipation to increase as she was constantly telling herself that no matter how hard it would be to see Alison, no matter what the situation was, she _wouldn't_ give in.

"Please." Emily begged and without a word Mason slowly opened the door. Poking her head slightly through she was first met with an unfamiliar tall blonde that looked exactly like Alison only older, her eyebrows were raised curiously at Emily's appearance and she placed her hand directly in Emily's path.

"You can't be here." She whispered sternly while trying to push Emily out of the room quietly.

"Who are you?" Emily for some reason mimicked the blonde's volume but still stood her ground, she didn't know if it was because of how dominant the blonde presented herself or if it was because she was dressed so professionally, she didn't know.

"None of your business, Mason you _know_ she can't be here." The blonde directed to Mason who was standing close behind Emily.

"I know." He murmured innocently.

"We were wondering where you had disappeared too, I knew you were up to no good." The taller blonde crossed her arms before pushing the pair outside, closing the door behind her and eyeing Emily sharply.

"Emily deserves to see her." Mason raised his voice when the door had fully closed.

"That wasn't your decision to make."

"Well I made it anyways."

There was a long, _long_ silence and Emily thought for sure that if anyone could get what they wanted from one look it would be the mysterious blonde, however not wanting to give up after being on such a long and very uncomfortable plane ride she straightened herself and looked at the door.

"I need to see her." Even she could tell how desperate she sounded but at that point she didn't care, she was anticipating so much she was ready to explode.

"I can't let you, Emily." The blonde's tone was significantly softer when she realised how distressed Emily really was.

"Please, just let me see her, if she doesn't want me here then I'll go. I just need to _see_ her, to see if this was all real. That we actually did know each other, that at one point we were something. I don't care if she throws me out straight away; I need to know that at one point I was something to her even if now I'm nothing at all."

Emily pleaded, she wasn't at all phased by the mystery blonde knowing her name, everyone seemed to now.  
The blonde looked up at Mason before dropping her shoulders and stepping aside allowing Emily access once more into the room, while the brunette reminded herself before placing her hand on the doorknob to remain strong and to not give in. Opening the door slowly she slipped her body in quietly and looked for Alison, she however didn't have to look for long when she walked further into the room and saw Alison asleep on the large bed against the back wall.  
The bed was almost the exact same bed from her home in Rosewood; it was the first detail Emily noticed. However when she looked at Alison again she realised a small amount of tubing was strapped securely to the fold of her arm and it led all the way up the bed and to a plastic-like bag hanging from a metal hanger, the bag was black but Emily couldn't read the writing.  
She was curious but it felt like her feet were glued to the floor and suddenly she realised it was worse than she had imagined, there was no way she could run away from what was in front of her but the temptation was there.  
Alison was asleep in bed with some sort of medicine being pumped into her body, yes she was sick but it didn't justify her leaving and so Emily tried to tell herself once again to be strong.  
But as she looked at the blonde's body she immediately felt her heart break into millions of pieces.  
Not because Alison had hurt her, but because clearly Alison was hurt in some way.  
Her lips quivered but the rest of her body remained frozen, eventually mustering up the strength to push her body closer to the blonde she let her eyes focus on the bag that was hanging above her.  
It read in big bold letters;

 **CHEMOTHERAPY DRUG**

 **CAUTION:  
OBSERVE SAFETY  
PRECAUSTIONS FOR  
HANDLING AND  
ADMINISTRATION.**

A large biohazard sign took refuge at the top of the bag and smaller writing surrounded it but Emily couldn't read it from the distance. She didn't need to though; she knew _exactly_ what it was before even reading it. The large symbol gave away enough and it made her legs practically give way causing her to involuntarily sit on Alison's bed.  
The movement, though small, made the blonde stir from her slumber, though she wasn't even aware she had fallen asleep until she was woken up her eyes were heavy from exhaustion and a layer of thickness temporality covered her eyes, making the waking up process longer.

"Emily?" She croaked when her eyes finally adjusted, the brunette was sitting on the very edge of the bed staring off in a daze but it was clear tears were falling down her cheeks.

"You have..." She whispered, her voice so broken it could barely force any further words but Alison waited, she had waited for so long to just _look_ at the brunette again but to actually hear her beautiful voice, no matter how distort, was a massive step up.

"What are you doing here?" It was all she could manage to say, even after everything she had put Emily through the moment the words left her lips she automatically regretted them.

"I'm here because I _deserve_ to be here." She wiped away an offending tear that rolled quickly down her face; she wasn't going to let Alison be in control.

"Emily..." Alison began but it was clear Emily was in no mood for the lies she was going to try and force out, though her voice and body were too tired to be doing much of anything really.

"You have _cancer_ , and you _weren't_ _even_ going to tell me! What, I was just going to have to watch the news and find out through some bullshit reporter? No, I deserve better than that Alison and so do you."  
Alison remained quiet as Emily stood from the bed and began pacing back and forth as if the motion would somehow make everything awful disappear, however the task of being strong and in control seem to disappear instead of the black bag of chemotherapy that hovered above Alison.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because, it's not your battle." Alison's voice cracked at almost every word and with each fault in her vocals Emily's heart broke into pieces each time.  
It wasn't exactly the time to be observing the blonde but Emily noticed instantly how thin and tired she looked, she didn't know if it was the chemotherapy or if it was the cancer but either way she had questions that desperately needed answers.

"You don't get it." Emily rolled her eyes and crossed her arms; it was her final attempt at being the one in control.

"I don't want to argue you." Alison croaked, her head was spinning from the already active effect of the chemotherapy and it was hard enough arguing with the feisty Emily when she was healthy.

"Please, Ali." Emily begged, her arms falling to her side in defeat knowing that the blonde would probably kick her out any minute, sitting back down she looked directly at Alison. "How could you not tell me?"  
Her head dropped to the blonde's side and minutes later she felt a hand touch her hair in an attempt to comfort her.

"I don't know, I just thought it was the right thing to do." She repeatedly stroked Emily's hair in hopes that it would somehow calm her own nerves, having Emily there wasn't exactly what she was expecting but regardless it had restarted her heartbeat to an insane speed.

"What kind of cancer is it?" She sat up and looked Alison deep in the eye, showing that she was in no mood to be toyed with, she wanted to know what was going on even if it meant being a little harsh.

"It's called Choriocarcinoma."

"Chor-rioca-what?"

"Alison, are you sure you should be telling her this?" Turning around Emily saw the mystery blonde from before standing at the door, she hadn't even heard her come it she was so focused on Alison.

"How long have you been standing there?" Emily responded borderline rude; she wasn't in any mood to be dealing with anyone else at that moment and Alison smirked at the brunette's boldness, no one usually spoke to her like that.

"Not long." Quirking an eyebrow the blonde crossed her arms, quickly picking up on Emily's attitude towards her.

"Well if you don't mind Alison and I were talking."

"Ali, I don't know if this is a good idea." She directed to Alison this time.

"She's right Cece, she deserves to know." Alison spoke finally, looking between the two girls she would've chuckled if she didn't feel so exhausted, obviously their first meeting wasn't a pleasant one.

"Fine, but I'm going to be here so I can explain it properly. You never get it right." Cece's tone was teasing and it would seem that she and Alison knew each other personally which didn't even cross Emily's mind at first.  
Alison rolled her eyes at Cece's comment before looking back to Emily; it was the first time she looked even remotely how Emily remembered her.

"Choriocarcinoma is a cancer that forms in the uterus," She began, sounded deliberately professional in an attempt to mock Cece. "Usually it's a fast growing cancer that if not treated can spread to other organs and into the blood."

"What caused it?" Emily questioned when Alison took a moment to breathe; quickly she and Cece exchanged a look of uncertainty before returning to Emily. It seemed there was something under the surface that she was missing but there was no way she wasn't getting the whole story.

"Ali?" She tried again, though she knew the blonde was hesitant to answer.

"It usually forms during-"

"Can you trust her with this?" Cece interrupted and Emily sighed, one for being questioned about her trust and two for once again being disturbed by the blonde.

"She already knows." Alison clarified quickly and Cece backed down.

"Knows what?" Emily looked between them.

"It usually forms during pregnancy, Emily." Alison murmured softly and quickly Emily registered how serious this was, considering how long it had been since Alison was pregnant.

"You had this for that long?" Alison nodded and watched Emily almost crumble at the weight of the news. "But you said it was a fast growing cancer?"

"Usually it is and that's why Alison's case is so concerning." Cece interjected, this time neither Alison nor Emily seemed bothered. "Though the age of this of this cancer isn't unheard the problem is we don't know how much it has progressed exactly. All we know is it's entered the blood stream and possibly into the lungs. That's why we started chemotherapy so quick, because the quicker now the more chances of..." Cece's words trailed away and Emily quickly looked between her and Alison, connecting the dots when Alison's eyes showed sadness. Now it seemed being the strong one was her only option.

"Surviving." Alison finished Cece's sentence and watched both girls wince in response and though it was true it still didn't make the concept any easier to register.

"You're going to survive." Emily said solidly, her tone strong and convincing however not enough for the tears to fall from her own eyes as she tried to gather the thoughts in her head.

"I'll leave you two alone." Cece left the room without another word and then it was just Alison and Emily once more.

"Emily..." Alison began, her eye's trying to catch the brunette's who was deliberately looking away because the tears in her eyes were about to betray her, she had to remain strong, even in such an extreme circumstance like this, "Em..."

Alison tried again, this time greeted with Emily's watery dark brown orbs filled with sadness and confusion, everything Alison had felt the day Cece had told her the test results.

"I'm sorry, for everything I did to you." She took a dramatic turn because really she wanted to talk about them, about their relationship, she wanted to apologise for what she had done. The cancer was old news to her and the guilt of what happened four months ago was becoming too much.

"How could you just leave me?" Emily caught on quickly, figuring the cancer would be a topic of conversation soon enough.

"I had too."

"What?" She almost choked on her own words but composed herself quickly and knelt in front of Alison, presenting herself in such a vulnerable position as tears uncontrollably slipped from her eyes.

"I... I had too." She repeated hoarsely.

"Did-did you _want_ to?" Emily was almost in hysterics as Alison looked away from her, this whole time Alison had been lying. When the blonde didn't answer she thought the worst, was it because she no longer cared for her, or was it other reasons?

"Alison." Emily demanded, causing the blonde to jump slightly.

"Of course I didn't want to!" Her voice, though still hoarse, ripped through Emily's core. It was strong and vibrant and exactly how she remembered Alison.

"How could you leave me?" Emily repeated with a sob, her heart almost breaking beyond repair knowing that Alison had left her even though she didn't want to.

"It's not safe, Eric is still out there. He might hurt you."

"Alison I'm safer by your side." She wiped away the tears that slipped down her cheeks while looking up at the black bag of chemotherapy causing more tears to fall. Her heart ripped against her chest as the weight of her feelings caught up with her, it was crushing her but quickly Alison put a hand on her cheek and softly rubbed her thumb to sooth her. And it did. Until she realised she was supposed to be strong. Standing she lightly pulled Alison's hand away in an attempt to clear her head, having the blonde touching her was not helping at all.

"I thought I was protecting you." Alison justified quickly when Emily walked away from her.

"I came here today thinking I would be able to do this, thinking I would be able to stay strong in front of you no matter what trouble you were in but I can't. Even now, metres away from you I can't control myself, I can't think clearly and especially after seeing that bag of Chemotherapy slowly draining into you there is no way I am going to be _remotely_ strong." She rubbed her head and began pacing again and while Alison watched carefully she felt her body becoming cold, coughing she moved her sheets further up her chest and continued to watch Emily have an internal battle with herself.

"I spent the last four months thinking you didn't care for me, that I was just a passing thing. It was awful Alison! And now I feel like a complete _ass_ because I was trying to be strong, to teach you a lesson and now being in front of you, all I can seem to remember is you and me together. All the good memories, like the last four months hadn't happened. My own brain is betraying me."  
She flopped her body at the very end of the bed and moments later felt the mattress shift as Alison slowly stood and moved to sit by her side, bringing the metal stand that held the Chemotherapy with her.

"Is the security access password to your front gate my initials?" Emily questioned, her head bowed and her thumbs fiddling with each other. Alison was mildly surprised with the dramatic change in topic and in tone but only because she didn't initiate it.

"Yes, it is." She murmured.

"Two, Five, zero, eight?" Emily questioned softly. "What do the numbers mean?"

"It's a date."Alison answered with a shy smile and as Emily recounted the months, being mid December that would make just over four months and she quickly connected the small meaning to Alison's coded date.

"The day we met."

"Emily Fields, twenty fifth of August." Alison confirmed with a small nod and Emily's heart melt, she knew it as only a small gesture but it symbolised that indeed Alison did care, in her own way it was her remembering a small part of her. "I'm sorry I left you, Emily."

Emily sat quietly for a long time.  
They sat there waiting, and every so often they would tempt themselves with the thought of touching the others hand, or to rest their head on the others shoulder but neither moved. Alison looked down at what the brunette was wearing and immediately recognised her black jacket.

"I can't just forgive you. I was so lost, and I had never felt so empty. I know I should because it's selfish if I don't, I mean you have cancer for goodness sakes, _really_ I am in no place to deny you anything."

"I'm not demanding forgiveness; I am still me, cancer or no cancer."

"I just need time." Emily took a deep breath, hoping it would calm her nerves that bubble deep in the pit of her stomach.

"We have plenty of it." Alison countered soothingly.

"Do we...?" Though Emily didn't want to ask the questions in fear it might be insensitive, it needed to be asked.

"I don't plan on going anywhere just yet. Cece thinks I'll be fine, I trust her judgement. We've found it and are treating it, hopefully it'll be okay when they locate it all and I've had some more Chemo."

"What stage is the cancer?" Emily murmured, knowing that Alison could possibly be sugar coating it for her well-being. She paused before answering, obviously unaware that Emily had some knowledge in the cancer department.

"The specialist isn't entirely sure yet, she needs more test results which she should be getting back soon. She's guessing anywhere between stage two and three though."  
Emily was silent again. Thinking.  
It wasn't horrifically bad at this point, but it wasn't delightfully positive either. Alison was stuck in the unsure phase which was probably worse than knowing for sure exactly what was wrong. She had to wait and Emily knew the blonde was never one for waiting.

"I don't want you to treat me differently. Like I said, I'm still me." Emily simply nodded because it was the only thing she could seem to force from her muscles because she was trying to still make sense of everything that was happening.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but Ali you really should be resting. The chemo should be done soon so I need you lying down." Cece walked in without knocking and looked over the machine that was assisting in pumping the chemotherapy through Alison's veins. It was the first time Emily had really taken it what it looked like, it was a small box with little buttons were connected to a few clear tubes that connected to Alison, it looked uncomfortable and machine itself had a small timer that was counting down from thirty seconds, indicating that Cece was right. Considering the black bag was basically empty, at one stage it was obliviously full; it must have taken hours to get the whole amount of chemo into Alison's body, which meant she was just lying in bed doing nothing.  
Emily's verdict of the whole machine was she didn't like it.  
Standing and moving out of Cece's way Emily watched Alison try to stand on her own, it was a struggle because she was so weak and tired but she did manage without any help, though another piece of the brunette's heart crumbled at the site.

"How long are you staying?" Alison directed softly to Emily, ignoring Cece who was pressing buttons on the chemotherapy machine while subtly looking between the two.

"I'm not sure; I'm going to check into a hotel for a few days."

"You can stay here?" She offered kindly.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea right now, but I will consider it." Emily looked up at Cece who immediately looked away.

"If you insist." Alison said with disappointment, though she knew she at least deserved to feel some sort of anguish at Emily's leaving, considering she had left her so heartbroken all those months before.

"I'll be back tomorrow." She turned around as confidently as she could and left the room, trying to keep her cool before shutting the door and bumping into Mason in a babbling mess of confusion and tears.

"Sorry." She stuttered embarrassed, before wiping away the stray tears.

"It's okay." Mason stepped aside and accompanied her down the stairs and to the car.

"Can you drop me off at a cheap hotel?" Emily stood by the car door as he opened it for her, he had a mildly surprised expression that she wasn't expecting.

"You're going to stay?"

"I'm not going to leave her," She cringed slightly at knowing what it felt like to be left behind, though she wasn't giving into the blonde, there was no way she was inflicting that pain upon her either. "She doesn't deserve that."

 **Hey guys, I hope you all don't hate me too much. I know Cancer is slightly dramatic but I'm not going to be killing anyone off so don't start sending hate reviews please.  
Also, this Cancer that I'm writing about is a real Cancer however I don't know a whole lot about it, I'm going mostly off research so I hope I didn't offend anyone. My best friend suffered from Cancer so she helped me with a few ideas and things.  
I hope this chapter didn't suck all that much. I know it's depressing **_**but**_ **I have tried to keep Emily from giving into Alison (like people have asked for in reviews) so I hope that was sort of what you guys were after.  
Anyways let me know what you think but please be kind  
Thanks as always for the lovely comments and reviews everyone- it does make my day a whole lot better :) **

**-Aesmtar  
**


	16. Chapter 16

_**Chapter Sixteen**_

It was mid afternoon when Mason dropped her off at a hotel and he wasn't happy about leaving her alone but with a lot of convincing he finally agreed.  
The hotel room was surprisingly clean, Emily had never been one to complain about a clean living space but considering everything one would hear about some hotels, a clean room was considered a myth.  
She stood in the doorway with Alison's black jacket in her hand, holding it tightly as if it were Alison's hand instead and though it was a nice room she didn't feel much like staying but she didn't feel much like leaving either.  
Sighing she walked in and shut the door, locking it as securely as was provided she moved to sit on the bed only to lie backwards when the weight of realisation and exhaustion of the day's events had finally caught up with her. She spent several hours with the television on and before she knew it, the sun was gone and it was pitch black outside.  
She hadn't lost this much time since Alison had left her; it was consuming her how much she paid attention to everything that was happening that the afternoon passed without her knowing.  
Without eating and with no time to think she had felt her eyes close in sleep only to open again when it was morning. It wasn't a decent sleep but at least she got some rest, it created enough clearness in her head to generate a rational thought, or to at least try and understand everything that was happening.  
Alison had cancer.  
A life threatening disease that was threatening to take Alison away from Emily and many thoughts ran dangerously through her mind.  
What if Alison had never told her?  
What if she had found out and it was too late?  
What if the cancer is worse than Alison is leading on?  
What if, what if. It was all Emily could think and it was consuming her.  
It wasn't fair that she had to wait to find out and it wasn't fair that Mason was the one that thought she deserved to know.  
Even if she did only really know Alison for a month, what was worse is now she was filled with guilt, for being so mad at the blonde, she didn't want to forgive her so easily; she wanted time to forgive her. But now it seemed time wasn't something Emily couldn't take for granted.  
Alison had left her but now she was apologetic. She didn't know what to do. Especially since Alison meant so much to her, it only seemed to cloud her judgement.  
The buzzing of her phone had interrupted her thoughts, scrambling them again, deciding she would try and think about Alison later she went to see what had caused her phone to ring to life.  
It was a message, from Mason.

 **I'm sorry, I know it's early but Alison is going to a few appointments today so she won't be able to have visitors. Keep an eye out for Eric okay? If you even as so much feel slightly uncomfortable, call me  
-Mason**

Sighing she didn't bother replying, mainly because she didn't know what she could say, so instead she switched to the contacts application of her phone and went to the favourites.  
Pressing the first contact she placed the phone to her ear and waited for the person to answer.

"Hello?" Hanna answered on the sixth ring, just before Emily was contemplating hanging up, the blonde sounded exhausted and her voice even cracked slightly.

"Hey, it's me." Emily said as she rolled on her side.

"Hi, so where are you?" Hanna's voice yawned through the phone.

"LA but Hollywood Hills to be specific, I believe."

"Oh that's so not fair, I want to go! Caleb! Can we please go to California?" Hanna moved away from the phone momentarily to moan playfully at Caleb who groaned slightly at being woken up so early. Emily heard a drowsy "whatever you want babe" from the still half asleep boy before Hanna put the phone back to her ear while giggling/

"How are you still asleep? You guys are like three hours ahead."

"It is only eight thirty here, so the more appropriate question would be why are you awake, but the even better question would be, is everything okay?" Hanna yawned twice while she spoke but when she realised how long she had been gone already it made it difficult to understand how time was lost.

"Yeah... sort of," Emily said while still trying to calculate the time she had already been away from Rosewood and think of everything that happened at the same time, "Not really."

"What's wrong? Or can't you tell me?" Hanna's tone changed immediately, but tiredness was still clear.

"I didn't even get a chance to discuss that with her." Emily frowned.

"So it is... Alison then?" Hanna said her name cautiously, as if the word might cause Emily to break but it didn't.

"Yeah."

"What are you going to do about work?" Hanna was clearly concerned, though she knew it was the weekend she figured Emily wasn't leaving California anytime soon.

"I have saved up enough sick days to make it to Christmas break. I guess I'll have to come home after that though."

"So, you're not going to be home for Christmas?" Hanna again sounded disappointed, which only made Emily feel worse.

"I'll see what I can do, it's complicated Han." And it was, but it was unfair that Hanna had to stay in Rosewood, without any answers to the many questions Emily was sure the blonde had.

"Are your parent's coming back?"

"No I think they're staying in Texas, I don't know though. I haven't spoken to them much because Dad has been doing a lot of training courses and Mum is still adjusting. The last time I spoke to them was about a month ago and they are still struggling with everything that was shown on the television and the internet with me and Alison."

"Yeah you never really told us what your parents said about it, I mean surely they would know what's going. Alison is pretty big news everywhere." Hanna would've laughed if the situation were different but at that moment it was still in the awkward stage where no one knew what was going on.

"I didn't tell you because they didn't really say anything, they were kind of surprised and I think a bit embarrassed." Emily remembered the awkward phone call with her parents, they were asking about the news and the media and really it just made thinking about Alison too painful.

"They still love you, Em." Hanna picked up on Emily's hesitant mood.

"I know and I want to see them for Christmas, but Alison needs me." It was true and it was hard to even vocalise it because as the words left her lips it made everything about the situation so much more real.

"Please, just be careful. I don't want you to get hurt again."

"You're surprisingly calm about me being here." Emily nodded because she didn't expect Hanna to be so understanding, sure she expecting the blonde to accept that it was happening but she definitely didn't expect this. Maybe it was because she had called at the right time, too early in the morning before Hanna's had her coffee, before she's functioning properly.

"You're my best friend, Em. I just want you to be happy." Hanna said kindly and Emily smiled at how caring her friend was. "But if she hurts you again I'm gonna get on a plane myself and come cross country to smack that bitch."

Hanna's tone was sassy and incredibly terrifying; Emily made a mental note to never take even a single step across to the blonde's bad side, though her attitude was slightly comforting as well.

"So if Hanna tells me she's going to California I'll stop her so she doesn't get arrested, Em." Emily heard Caleb move closer to the phone, obviously more awake with his girlfriend making slap threats to a very famous celebrity.

"Thank you, Caleb." She called through the phone, hoping he would hear.

"Seriously though Em, are you okay? This must be serious if you're considering staying through your favourite holiday." Hanna pretended as though Caleb and Emily hadn't exchange their playful banter and almost pushed her boyfriend away, demonstrating she wasn't messing around.

"It is serious, Han." Emily felt a tear swell in her eye, pushing it away however when she realised everything was going to be fine.  
It _had_ to be.  
They didn't talk for long after that, Emily got Hanna to promise she wouldn't tell anyone about what was going on until she knew more. Spencer and Aria were busy with work anyway and it wasn't as though anyone else would really ask.  
The rest of the day consisted of Emily sitting in her hotel room, only to leave when she realised she needed more clothes. She spent less than an hour shopping, got some groceries as well and then headed back to her hotel room.  
She was thankful for the privacy the black hood provided because she knew the moment she was spotted in Hollywood she was doomed.  
By the time she had returned it was just after noon, so deciding to get her work schedule dealt with she called Bill to notify him that she was taking some time off from her left over sick days, he seemed slightly shocked but since she had been pretty efficient with her work and she was nothing but loyal to him and his business, he wasn't overly bothered because he figured it was important. Usually Emily saved her sick days for emergencies, like if anything went wrong with her parents in Texas so she had the option to have time off; _this_ particular situation however never once came into the realm of possibilities.

"Do you have a rough idea of when you'll be back?" He questioned as he wrote in his work diary a reminder that Emily would be away.

"Not until after our Christmas break." Emily was worried he would be upset about the lack of time she had given him to prepare.

"Oh that's fine; we've only really got a week left before Christmas and you never take days off."

"Thank you, Bill."

"No problem," Emily went to hang up but she heard him speak again. "Oh and Emily? Good luck, with whatever is going on."

"Thank you." She said gratefully.

The rest of the day went slowly and though she had brought food she didn't feel much like eating, nor was the television providing any decent entertainment. She thought the day would go on forever but she knew that tomorrow would be a day she could hopefully see Alison.  
She couldn't help being worried but she also couldn't help Hanna's words running around in her head, though she knew it was a joke, the fear of Alison hurting her again lingered dangerously deep within her thoughts.  
She was thankful when it was late enough to consider it time to eat dinner; it was something to do even though she still hadn't felt like eating.  
By the time she was lying in bed, showered with brushed teeth and new clothes it was eleven thirty, she had somehow managed to make the evening drag out from painfully slow to somewhat painful fast.  
She left the television running to help her sleep, she felt lonely in such a big and unfamiliar city.

The next morning when she woke up she went into the mini kitchen to make herself a coffee and subconsciously her thoughts were already on Alison and whether or not she would be able to see her that day.  
She was wondering how the blonde was feeling after her dose of chemotherapy, from what she had heard of the drug it wasn't particularly delightful, after all it was a poison to help rid of the cancer while also making the patient feel awfully sick to say the least.  
Bringing the hot coffee to her lips she let the soothingly thick liquid welcomely hit her taste buds before falling down her throat, it was the pick-me-up she had been craving.  
A sudden knock at the door caused Emily to jump through the mess of thoughts that was her brain, quickly standing she moved to the door and opened it slightly to see who the visitor was. She was thankful that the door was separating her from him when the little chain lock was fully open.

"Don't be scared, I'm not here to hurt you." Eric mused, his voice soft and alarmingly convincing.

"That's a little hard to believe." Emily tried shutting the door slightly.

"Don't you think if I was you'd already be hurt?" He seemed calm and collected, not how Emily remembered him but the last time she saw him he was shooting at her.

"What do you want?" She kept the door opened, giving him a chance to explain his uninvited appearance.

"I need to talk to you." Eric seemed young when he spoke, he didn't seem threatening or angry. He kind of reminded Emily of a young child, completely oblivious to the fact that he was only slightly younger than her.

"Well get talking."

"I can't stay out here, someone might see me."

"You should have thought about that before coming out in broad daylight with a wanted level. I'm sorry but I'm not letting you in. Trust isn't something I'm handing out anymore." Emily said confidently and Eric nodded, understanding that he wasn't going to win. Hunching over slightly he made sure his hood was completely covering his face before continuing.

"She didn't tell you the whole story." He looked up and down the hallway before leaning closer to the door.

"I know she was pregnant." Emily said quickly before Eric could continue, and he was surprised with her response.

"Well, she never told anyone besides her minions. But that's not what she didn't tell you, she was driving."

"I know, she told me that too." Emily rolled her eyes; this was old news to her.

"Wow, she must trust you. Did she tell you they were fighting before it happened?"

"No... She didn't tell me that." Emily mused softly but when Eric looked up and down the hallway again she rolled her eyes once more before closing the door, opening the locks and letting him inside. "You have five minutes. If you don't leave I'm calling the cops."

"Seems fair." He nodded and looked around the hotel room before giving her his attention again.

"Staying a few days?" He queried, obviously trying to fish for information when he saw the bag of clothes Emily had bought the day before.

"I'm not so sure now." She spoke honestly. "What were they fighting about?"

Emily was curious beyond reason but when Eric had an uneasy expression it only peeked her interest more.

"He had an alcohol problem." It seemed Eric was aware of Emily's issues with the substance, hence his nervous manner but really it only made more sense that he was telling her. "She was trying to convince him to stop before they had the baby but he was persistent that he didn't have any issues with it. She was distracted when she was driving and then the drunk driver hit them."

"So it was clearly an accident..." Emily started, though it seemed now she understood why Alison was so concerned with her drinking problem. "Why have a personal vendetta against her this whole time?"

"Because she was driving and got him killed, and then to make it worse she lied about it and turned it into a movie. She got rich and famous of my best friend's death."

"It was an accident, yes there was a movie after it but she and James thought it was a good idea to honour his memory because he wanted to work in film." Emily was trying to remain calm even though inside her body was almost screaming; she understood why Eric was so mad, though she didn't understand why he had to go so crazy she did sort of understand his reaction. What was bothering her was Alison had never told her that, one, they were fighting and two, Luke had an alcohol problem. She felt betrayed that this news was coming from Eric as it seemed she was learning more and more about Alison but the information was coming from the wrong people.

"Neither she nor James should have done that movie." He seemed angry and sad but the frustration of Emily's logic was what was making him the combination of the two.

"You know it's not going to end well for you if you don't stay away from her." Emily wanted to hurry the conversation up; she had her own conversation to have.

"She should pay for lying."

"And killing her is going to make her pay? She'll have moved on, gone into the next life or whatever and you'll be stuck down here with the pain and consequences. You're really willing to risk your life for a chance at ending hers, and it turn, sending her back to Luke?"  
Emily watched Eric paused with realisation; he seemed stumped and lost, something he definitely wasn't expecting with his interaction with Emily.

"Granted, what she did probably wasn't what you wanted to come out of Luke's death but, at the time, both she and James felt it was what was best, for him, for them..."

"But they didn't think about what I wanted." Eric slumped his shoulders and for a split second Emily could have sworn she had seen a single tear well in the corner of his eye but it disappeared as quickly as it had emerged.

"Maybe, Eric, it's time for you to forgive Alison for what happened. She's as consumed by it as you are."

"She doesn't seem it." He muttered childishly.

"She's a good actress." She murmured before looking down at her watch and sighing. "Is there anything else?"

"No, that's it. I'm surprised you knew as much as you did." He headed to the door and turned before opening it.

"So are you going to leave Ali alone?" Emily questioned before he could leave.

Eric turned his head slightly at the desperation hidden deep within the brunette's voice, his curiosity gleaming when she addressed Alison so personally, perhaps indicating that their relationship wasn't as over as everyone originally thought.

"I'm not going to lie to you when, for the last four years, I have been so consumed by Alison's lying." Eric disappeared out the door while shutting it swiftly behind him, Emily didn't bother chasing him because she knew it would be no use.  
Her mind was somewhat focused on the fact that it was probably the strangest encounter anyone would ever have.  
This man had shot at her and Alison, he had been stalking the blonde for years and he threatened to end her life.  
And yet, Eric stood in the hotel room, calm, collected and just as polite and well mannered like Alison and Mason.  
Shaking her head she didn't know what to do. Should she tell someone? Should she call the cops?  
He was still wanted, wasn't he?  
Otherwise there was no reason for Alison to leave Emily.  
Though it seemed clear Eric was still obsessed with making Alison pay it also seemed he wasn't as addicted by the fixation.  
Brushing it aside she grabbed her- Alison's black jacket, the keys to the room and headed with determination out and down the street, calling the first taxi she could find.  
He looked at her curiously, as if he thought he knew her but quickly drove when she said she didn't know the address but only the directions.  
After twenty minutes and a large fair later she got out in front of the gate to Alison's large mansion, making sure the taxi cab was completely out of sight before walking up to the speaker box.  
Pressing the first button the robotic voice chimed through.

"Identification, please." It stated, causing Emily to remember who she was dealing with.

"Daniel Mason." She tried, though she knew it would be hopeless.

"Identification denied. Voice recognition failure."

"Damn it." She mumbled before walking away from the machine. Sighing she paced back and forth for almost five minutes before she heard a click at the box and it began speaking again.

"Access password." It repeated itself when Emily was frozen, stunned by the random activation.

"Uh... Echo, Foxtrot. Too Fife, Zeero, Ait." She spoke clearly into the box and heard the fence click loudly before slowly swinging open.  
She walked slowly, half expecting that some sort of joke was being played but as she took the long walk up the driveway and heard the gate shut securely behind her she realised it was no attempt of humour.  
Knocking on the door she saw a figure through the glass making its way slowly to open it.

"Hey." She was surprised to see Alison standing but she still looked sick, perhaps even worse than the other day.

"Hi." Emily managed finally. "Did you make the gate work for me?"

"Yes." Though she figured that was the case when Alison turned inside, following she shut and locked the door.  
As she took in the details of the home she immediately noticed that it had a more comfortable vibe than the one in Rosewood, probably because this was Alison real home.

"What's wrong?" Alison questioned as she slowly sat down on the lounge that sat in front of the large plasma screen television, rugging herself up in a large blanket.

"Sorry?" Emily sat opposite her, confused by the question.

"You have a determined expression, what's wrong?" Alison looked away from her and up at the television only to quickly look back again seconds later.

"What were you fighting about?" Emily questioned boldly.

"Who?" Alison was the one to be confused this time.

"You and Luke, what were you arguing about before the accident?" Emily knew Alison immediately was uncomfortable with the subject and though she already knew the answer she wanted to hear Alison say it.

"We weren't-"

"Don't lie to me _again_." She warned, her voice stern but frustrated and showing no signs that she wanted to be lied too.

"You know, I may have lied to you but I lied to you the least out of anyone." Alison brought her legs to her chest, shivering slightly, making Emily feel awful for being so harsh.

"That doesn't make it any better." She stayed strong, just as she had promised herself. Alison looked hurt by her honesty and in an attempt to continue with her tough exterior Emily closed her eyes to block out any influence the blonde was having on her.

"I know that he was an alcoholic." She blurted out when she reopened her eyes, the blonde's blue orbs no match for her.

"Eric spoke to you." Alison titled her head, it wasn't a question, it was a statement because she knew it was true, however she showed no signs of being surprised when Emily didn't answer, indicating that the interaction did take place. "Now you see why I hated your drinking habits."

Emily paused, her eyes on the shivering blonde, she felt bad for being so conflicting but she didn't know what else she could do, however when her need to comfort grew too strong and she found herself moving towards Alison without any command from her brain to do so.  
She sat down next to her and placed her arm at the top of the lounge, knowing that even though the physical contact was probably a step backwards she couldn't help herself. Her body was aching to stop the cold body temperature that was no doubt an effect of the chemotherapy.

"Come here." She murmured softly and Alison didn't hesitate in moving into her hold. At the contact Emily instantly felt how cold the blonde was and it broke her heart, this wasn't what she had anticipated for that morning and she definitely didn't anticipate the blonde's hands on her waist, playing ever so slightly with the fabric of her jacket.

"I like this on you." She said softly before snuggling further into Emily's chest enjoying the warmth that was provided.

"I've barely taken it off since you... left." Alison felt a pinch of regret when the hurt in Emily's voice was evident but she tried not to make her scrunched up expression noticeable. "It doesn't smell like you anymore though."

Emily's tone was noticeably disappointment; it seemed that even though she wanted to remain in control her honesty got the better of her.  
Alison smiled at this honesty.  
Moving closer into the brunette's hold Alison felt her eyes fluttering from opened to closed, she was exhausted and with the chemotherapy she seemed to be either sleeping way too much or not enough. There was no healthy in-between making her hate for the drug only heighten.

"No but it smells like you and I like that a lot better." Alison whispered while nuzzling freely into Emily's chest, listening to the rhythm that was the brunette's heart beat. At her words the rhythm quickened and with each spontaneous touch a different beat would chime, causing Alison's want to touch her constantly grow.  
It was like she was creating her own symphony from Emily's heart.  
She knew her own heart was doing the same, jumping in different patterns continuously and when further contact followed even faster beats followed with it.  
Though months ago she had forced herself to convince Emily there was nothing between them, Alison secretly knew her heart would always beat for Emily, even if the brunette decided she never wanted her that way again.

"You could have told me." Emily said minutes later. "About Luke's problem with alcohol."

"It was hard, Emily." Her voice was soft, though she didn't mean to whisper, it was just because she was so exhausted it was as if her vocal chords couldn't make the effort.

"I know. I just wish I hadn't found out from Eric."

"When did he see you? I should be a little concerned; I don't know why I'm not." Alison reluctantly sat away from Emily's chest to look directly in her eyes.

"This morning, he just knocked on my hotel door as if it was nothing." Emily shrugged while rethinking the interaction; it was definitely a weird encounter.

"And he just talked?" Alison questioned and Emily nodded. "Did he have his gun?"

"Not that I could see. He was really different, calm and... normal. He wasn't threatening and he wasn't angry. At first I think he was sort of trying to get me against you but when I said I already knew about you being pregnant and the accident he was surprised and just kind of left after that."

"He should be surprised, the only people that know about that are him, Mason, Derek and you. Oh and Cece." Alison went back to lie against her, this time lying her head gently on her shoulder.  
It was her way of testing the waters, she was trying to figure out how close she could be to Emily without crossing the brunette's invisible line. She knew it was probably wrong but at this point in time she felt she needed the comfort, she considered that half of the brain, the impulsive half, to be taking control the logical half.  
When Emily didn't object because truth be told, she wanted the comfort too, Alison gently placed her hands on the brunette's arm, playing with the skin while causing goose bumps.

"How is your collarbone? How's the recovery?" Alison remembered when she looked down at the scared skin, no doubt the whiter part of the skin an aftermath of the surgery.

"Oh, it's fine. I was supposed to start physiotherapy for it but I hadn't gotten around to it. Although I have a few starter exercises before I need to go anyway." Emily hadn't really thought about her shoulder since she had left Rosewood, though the pain still lingered every so often.

"Why haven't you started?" Alison asked concerned.

"I just... never got around to it. I didn't feel like going out unless it was for work."

"Because of me?" Though it was a clear question Alison already knew the answer and when Emily remained awkwardly silent it subtly granted the response that wasn't really required in the first place.

"Emily..." She began but Emily shifted, her shoulder already aching from the blonde's weight. She wasn't heavy but on her still damaged shoulder it was enough to cause pain.

"I don't want to talk about it." Emily interrupted, making her discomfort on the topic quite apparent.

Alison sighed, "I'm sorry."

Her voice was desperate and depressed, though she was doing well to hide the depressed part. It was clear though, especially to Emily, that Alison was as hurt by the break up as she was. She wanted to forgive Alison, she wanted to pull her into her arms and never let her go but she wasn't ready because she didn't know if she could trust her with her heart again. At that moment her heart was only held together by small bandaids, and though it _was_ healing, one wrong move and everything would fall to pieces again. She wasn't prepared for that but if she was going to be honest with herself she would probably never be ready for it, however she was trying to not look at Alison as an inevitable heart break.  
This was Alison after all.  
This girl, though she had hurt her, had also saved her too.  
She had saved her from Paige, from alcohol and most of all, her destructive self.  
And as her apology sunk into Emily's skin it only seemed to make all the bad thoughts disappear, she felt reunited with what they had when they were together four months ago.

"Ali?" Emily looked at Alison, who had sat back into the lounge, missing the brunette's hold when she had moved away to rub her shoulder.

"Yeah?" She responded softly, her hand subconsciously going to Emily's as encouragement.

"I-" But before she could speak anymore the sound of keys clinging in the door and then the following sound of it opening and closing broke the moment, turning around to get a proper view of the hallway a surprised Cece walked in with her handbag and a large white envelope with ' _California X-Rays_ ' written largely across it.

"Hi." Cece said, her eyes cautiously stuck on Emily.

"Hey." Alison murmured, aware of the tension between the two. Cece looked down at their joined hands and quickly Emily pulled away, suddenly embarrassed for no particular reason.

"I've got more painkillers for you." Cece walked into the lounge room slowly, her eyes still on Emily.

"Can I have some now?" Alison rubbed her head, realising how much pain she was in. Cece nodded before disappearing out of the room, looking at Emily before being completely out of sight.

"I don't think Cece likes me." Emily chuckled and Alison giggled playfully, it was clear Cece was making it quite obvious that she wasn't happy with Emily's presence.

"It sure seems that way, doesn't it?" Alison laughed before putting her hand against Emily's again, soothing the skin ever so slightly with her thumb. "She'll warm up to you; it's just a bit hard for her right now. I'm the only family she's got, and I'm not even related to her."

Emily looked down at their combined finger tips and sighed softly, it seemed Alison had quite a large heart, even though she constantly tried to hide that. Before Emily could speak again Cece walked back into the room with a glass of water and a few pills, while the large white envelope was shoved under her arm. Standing Emily walked towards her and smiled warmly.

"Here." Her words her soft, demonstrating that she came in peace before taking the envelope from Cece's struggling hold.

"Thanks." She directed at Emily before handing Alison the pills and water, taking the envelope when she had free hands again. As Emily sat back down she let her hand reunited with Alison's once more, allowing herself to feel the comfort it provided.

"Thanks Cece, what's in the envelope?" Alison asked curiously while also trying to catch Cece's attention, though she already obviously knew it was X-rays.

"It's just the X-rays from yesterday of your lungs." She finally looked at Alison, being careful not to reveal too much information in front of Emily as trust was still an issue for her.

"And?" Alison pushed while Cece sat down in the armchair across from the pair.

There was silence for a moment as Cece once again looked between their hands, it seemed she wasn't worried about being subtle but Emily wasn't bothered, she decided she deserved this and so did Alison.

"You can tell us both." Alison understood Cece's concern for Emily's company but she wanted the brunette to know there was no way she was letting anyone else push her out of her life.

"If you're sure," It wasn't a question but Alison nodded regardless. "Well it looks so far like the cancer has stayed out of your lungs; usually it's the first organ it travels to after the uterus. But because your cancer has been so unusual, I'm going to get you booked in for a full body MRI, just to be sure."

"So for the most part, that's good news?" Alison's hand squeezed Emily's as she spoke.

"Yes and no," Cece said honestly. "Yes because it hasn't travelled to such a vital organ but no because we know it has travelled but we don't know where to."

A large sigh came from Alison and Emily felt awful, she wanted to pull the blonde into a hug and never let go. However, she was surprised at how well she was taking it.

"What can we do?"

"Wait for the blood tests to come back, it will tell us how much the cancer has progressed more accurately."

Emily looked down at Alison's arms, both were bandaged at the inner fold of the elbow, she remembered the Chemotherapy was being injected into her right arm so she must have gotten blood extracted from the left.  
She also noticed Alison wasn't trembling anymore, she smiled slightly, feeling accomplished for least providing a sense of warmth when she had no supportive words.

"What?" Alison asked, noticing Emily's smile.

"You're not shivering."

Alison smiled, it was such an Emily thing to say and it made a tear form in her eye but she quickly forced it away when she remembered Cece was less than two feet away.

"I'm not, thank you." They squeezed hands before giving Cece their attention again.

The blonde had raised eyebrows; she had seriously left Alison for less than an hour and was already attracting people inside. Although she wasn't a fan of how Emily was introduced, the young brunette was actually a very sweet girl, from what she could tell anyway.  
Emily seemed cautious of her presence, obviously trying to figure out whether or not she should be around Alison, it was obviously difficult for her.  
Which made Cece feel bad for being so cold to the girl.

"You need rest." Cece stated her tone significantly warmer.

"I am resting, see I'm sitting down." Alison chuckled as she continued to play with Emily's fingers, Cece quirted an eyebrow with displeasure at the blonde's comment.

"Come on, I'm not dysfunctional Cece, I'm just a little sick."

"Ali, you're a slightly more than a little." Cece wasn't particularly happy with her best friends' response but really she did understand, it was difficult to adjust to such a life changing experience.

"I know, but I didn't want everything to change. I'm missing so much work."

"Yeah, that's another thing I wanted to talk to you about." Cece rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, obviously trying to figure out how to say what she needed to.

"What?" Alison questioned worriedly.

"They need to start filming straight away and you can't, Derek thinks you're going to need to tell them what's going on."

"But if I tell them the media will find out within hours. I don't want that to happen." Alison released her hold of Emily's hand and rubbed her head, sitting back into the lounge she put her head nuzzled into Emily's neck.  
Shyly Emily looked up at Cece who expertly quirted an eyebrow again.

"Ali..." Emily murmured softly, "They're going to find out eventually. You of all people know what the media is like; I'm surprised they don't know yet."

"We've only known for a week or so, Em." Alison wrapped her arm around Emily's waist, desperate for the comfort.

"Maybe you can tell the media yourself? I saw something on the news last night about you leaving your set. So they already know something is going on, maybe beat them to it?"

"She's got a point, Ali." Cece chimed in, she had been trying with Mason for the last week to convince Alison to notify the director of the movie what was going on but she could understand the fear that followed it.

"Fine, I'll tell Gary, he's never been one to keep his mouth shut though. Everyone will know."

"It's nothing to be ashamed of." Emily quickly heard the embarrassment in Alison's voice and she as quick to defend the girl from herself.

"There will be support." Cece joined in.

"But there will also be others. Others that will say awful things, Cece. You know that." Alison choked slightly as she pushed her tears away, she was speaking from experience and though she thought she would be used to the hurtful things people said, she wasn't.

"We'll be there for you." The older blonde looked at Emily before catching Alison's eye, causing her to look up at the brunette.

"Of course we will." She answered the unasked question.

Alison had called an emergency meeting that night and by seven thirty everyone of great importance to the film's production, mainly the director and producers, were all down stairs waiting. Emily had been lingering upstairs with the blonde who was being assisted in getting dressed by Cece, she was nervous to even emerge from the room let alone go and meet almost some of the people that were making a movie with Alison, the blonde had offered her to stay upstairs to avoid them and with great gratitude Emily accepted the offer.

"Relax Em, it's just the main cast, the directors and producers. I don't need the others to be here to find out." Alison lightly touched Emily's hand that had been resting on the door frame, turning to face the blonde she was surprised how tired and sick she looked even with make-up on, it was heart breaking.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Emily held her hand tightly, comforting herself just as much as Alison.

"It's less than ten people; I've done much bigger performances than this." She smiled before leaning in to place a gentle kiss on Emily's cheek and give her a tight hug.

"Okay, not to ruin the moment and everything but they're waiting." Cece stood behind them and waited for them to separate.  
After Cece adjusted Alison's hair slightly she walked out of the room and directed the blonde to follow.

"I'll see you in a bit, Killer." Alison winked and turned around only to slowly make her way down the hallway.

Emily smiled at Alison's nickname for her and as she watched the blonde struggle and Cece offering to help it only made her heart shatter more.  
Taking a large breath she left the confinements of the door frame and linked her arm securely around Alison's, who looked surprised by her appearance.

"Come on, everyone needs help every once and a while." Alison was touched by Emily's bravery, she had made it quite clear she didn't want to be downstairs with the few people that were invited but there the brunette was, preparing to ignore all that just so she could walk properly.

"Em..." She began her voice soft as it caught in her throat.

"Yeah?"

"I regret leaving you; I don't know why I did because you are the best thing that ever happened to me." They were still stopped in the hallway but the world seemed to disappear around them as Emily felt herself closed the distance between them.

"Okay, I'm sorry to ruin again," Cece's voice was down the hallway, but still travelling far enough to break the girls apart quickly. "But they're getting impatient, Gary's losing it."

They giggled playfully before slowly making their way down the hallway, Cece smiled while rolling her eyes at how happy Alison looked. For someone who had so much to be sad about she was doing very to keep positive, at least in that moment anyway.

"Please believe me though, Emily, I thought I was protecting you." Her voice was a whisper as they made it to the end of the hallway.

"I believe you." Emily whispered back as they began their descent of the stairs. Everyone that had spread themselves out between the front room of the house by the door and the living room looked up, surprised expressions covering every single face.  
Emily didn't know if it was because of her or if it was because Alison was noticeably unwell even from a distance, she figured it was a combination of the two.

"Alison? What's going on?" Alyssa was the first to speak; clearly worried about how pale she looked. Alison knew Alyssa wasn't a part of the crew but she was important to the movie so she felt she deserved to know.  
Smiling at Alyssa while giving her a small hug, Alison backed away she grabbed tightly onto Emily's hand for the support she desperately needed.

"Everyone, I have an announcement." Alison tried raising her voice but it wasn't a huge difference, although everyone was quiet the moment she had made it down stairs anyway.

"I'm sorry we have been behind on production but last week when I collapsed on set, as you are all aware of I'm sure, I was later taken to a doctor and under took a series of tests."

A few people murmured quietly to each other when Alison paused to look at Cece who was standing supportively next to her.

"The reason I have gathered you all here is to inform you that the results of those tests were an unexpected turn in the road."

"What does that mean?" Alyssa was first to speak again but Gary had made his way to the front, his expression clearly unimpressed.

"Long story short, I will not be able to continue with the movie, not any time soon anyways."

Alison held tightly onto Emily's hand as murmurs and gasps echoed throughout the room. Gary was the first to speak up this time; however Alison wasn't expecting what he said.

"What happened? Are you alright?" His concern was very clear, generating raising eyebrows and gapping mouths.

"I found out I have cancer, and from now on I need to avoid contact in case I pick up an infection. I need to rest that's why I have not been on set, originally I wanted to continue but my doctor made it clear I shouldn't."

As Alison continued explaining what was happening and how sorry she was for everything Emily noticed the blonde's co-star constantly looking at her, however every time she made eye contact Alyssa would quickly look back to Alison.  
By the time Alison had finished talking and everyone had left, deciding to wait a few weeks on production and to instead book a meeting to discuss replacements, it was almost eight thirty and Alison was exhausted.  
Alyssa had stayed behind to chat briefly but Cece had insisted it was time for her to leave.

"I see you've re-established your relationship with Miss Fields." Alyssa said casually as Alison walked her out while Emily talked to Cece about some arrangements.

"I wouldn't say re-established." Alison shut the front door as they walked outside to talk.

"Well what would you call it then?" She was pushing the topic too much for Alison's liking; however she was too tired to be bothered by her normal nosiness.

"Being a good friend." Alison rubbed her eyes, trying to indicate that she was too tired for small talk without being rude.

"I thought you were done seeing her?" Alyssa questioned, with jealousy clear in her voice.

"Alyssa, I thought I had made it quite clear I wasn't interested in dating you." Alison tried to back away from the persistent young woman but she only moved closer and reached out to touch her.

"Come on, you know we have great chemistry." Alyssa whispered seductively as she pushed Alison against the wall of the house.

"Alyssa come on, stop it." Alison tried to push her away, but even with her evident discomfort Alyssa moved into kiss her.

"Ali? Is everything alri-" Emily voice came from behind the front door and as she went out to investigate she stopped mid sentence, Cece close behind when she froze in shock.

"Okay, I think you should go Alyssa." Cece's tone was a warning and without hesitation Alyssa departed. "I'll let you guys talk." Cece waited for Alyssa to be in her car and out of sight before she walked back inside to leave Emily and Alison in private.

"Emily, I _swear_ it wasn't what it looked like." Alison turned to face Emily as she pleaded for a chance to explain.

"Ali, you don't have to justify your actions to me." Emily was trying to be understanding and reasonable but it was hard to watch someone kiss Alison in real life, she couldn't help but feel the jealousy bubble within her.

" _She_ kissed me." Alison closed some distance between them, reaching out to the surprisingly calm brunette as she moved. "Please, Emily."

She pleaded a second time, the desperation clear as she took Emily's hands in her own.

"Alison..."

"Em, _please_ call me Ali." Alison's hands were tight around Emily's in fear that she would never be able to hold them again.  
Emily looked away, it was difficult to believe it wasn't real; she had to over think everything Alison said now because she was still hurt from being left behind four months ago. She felt she should let it go but her heart was trembling at the thought of giving herself to the blonde once again.

"Please." Alison whispered, bowing her head against Emily's cheek while letting one hand to clutch behind her neck, tears falling without command to do so. Emily felt a tear of her own fall as she let her arms give in and wrap around the blonde's waist, holding her securely but still a safe distance apart.

"It's okay, Ali." Emily soothed while turning her head to face the distort Alison. Tears continued to fall as she took her inside, guiding her passed the concern Cece and up the stairs straight to her bedroom.

"I can't lose you." Alison whispered when Emily sat her down on her bed and went to take off her shoes.

"I'm not going anywhere." Emily looked up and smiled convincingly, because right now she knew how much Alison needed that stability. 

**Extra long chapter for my beautiful readers and followers – hope you all enjoyed  
Reviews are greatly appreciated, it helps**

 **-Aemstar**


	17. Chapter 17

_**Chapter Seventeen**_

It was Christmas Eve, the day before Emily's favourite holiday and she was spending it alone in her hotel room. She woke up that morning in an awful mood, depressed and missing home, missing her parents and friends. She was angry because she knew Alison was laying her bed doing the exact same thing, feeling angry. However the blonde's anger was justified, Emily couldn't seem to find a reasonable justification for her anger. Sure she could miss home and her family but that didn't really validate her anger.  
She was rethinking her week, Alison had been constantly offering for her to stay in her home instead of the hotel but Emily couldn't bring herself to stay, she was scared of allowing herself to be close with the blonde in fear of being hurt. She wanted to let go but she couldn't. There was always something lingering deep in her mind that she couldn't put her finger on. Was it maybe Eric's random visit a week ago, was it what he said? About Luke's alcohol problem or perhaps it was she was hurt because Alison had never told her. Not that Alison needed too, it was none of her business and yet she found it lingering in her mind anyway.

Her phone ringing to life brought her from her inner monologue contaminated with rage, jumping to answer she was hoping it was Alison but was happily surprised with her mother's name showing up as the caller ID.

"Hey Mum."

"Hello sweetie, your father is here too." The slight echo followed through the phone indicating that Emily was on loud speaker.

"Hey Emmy." Wayne called, obviously a little further away from the phone.

"What are you guys up to?" She questioned, curious for their spontaneous call, usually they would plan it.

"We wanted to see how you were doing." Pam's tone was wary; she was obviously still not aware of Emily's travel to Los Angeles and was worried if she was still feeling how she was before she had seen Alison.

"I'm okay, I'm actually in LA."

There was a long awkward pause on the phone and Emily was worried she had offended her parents but as Pam took an audibly loud deep breath she had figured she hadn't.

"We know, that's why we called."

"What do you mean?" Emily was suddenly nervous, was everything okay with her dad and his job? Was he getting shipped off to another war?  
Many scenarios ran through her mind until her parents finally spoke again.

"I think the media caught wind of you staying there Emmy." Wayne was the one to speak this time and it sounded as though he had closed the distant between him and the phone and had joined Pam.

"Oh fuck." She groaned in frustration before reaching for the television remote, receiving a disgruntled 'Emily' from her mother at her swearing.  
Turning on the television she flipped through the many channels before finding a news station but she figured it wouldn't have been centre of attention and would have to wait for a story. She turned the volume right down and continued talking to her parent's, trying to ignore the fact that once again her personal life was being pried upon.

"Emily," Pam began with her tone soft and cautious. "Is Alison DiLaurentis sick?"

Emily felt a tear develop in her eye as the words fell from her mother's lips, it sounded even worse when someone else was asking because it made the reality of the situation so much more real. It wasn't just something that was between her and Alison, everyone would know and it was going to destroy the blonde.

"How did you know?" Emily's voice trembled because she already knew, she looked up at the television and saw a photo of Alison next to a news anchors head, it then disappeared and ads began to play indicating that a story about the blonde was properly coming up after all the commercials.

"We saw on television this morning, we didn't know if you knew but then something came up saying you had been spotted in LA so we figured you did know."

"I guess that means someone spilled the beans, she was working on a movie but had to stop because of her condition, she told the main crew and I guess someone couldn't keep a secret."

"It was bound to happen sweetie, it' not your fault." Wayne always knew what to say but he felt in this situation that there was nothing anyone could say to get rid of the hurt in his daughter's voice.

"She has cancer." She couldn't help the words fall but she needed to tell someone. "You know, she wasn't even going to tell me? Her body guard thought I deserved to know so he brought me here."

"Maybe she thought it was what's best for you." Pam was trying to be neutral but it was hard not to side with her daughter immediately, she sounded so hurt.

"So I was just supposed to find out this way? Through some stupid news report that's no doubt filled with lies. I have been here for just over a week and she still isn't being completely honest with me, I can tell it's more serious than she' letting on but she won't talk to me about it. I feel like I'm losing her in many ways."

"Why do you feel she's not being completely honest?" Wayne sat next to his wife and listened to his daughter attentively.

"Because she thinks I can't handle it but what I can't handle is having things kept from me."

"Go to her Em, tell her what you're feeling and throw everything on the tables. Even I can tell that this young woman means everything to you. From what we've seen and what you've told us, she treated you a lot better than Paige and we want you to be happy." Wayne was surprisingly being very insightful; usually it was Pam that had all the smarts in this department.

"I don't want her to leave me again." Emily voiced her fears and her parent's understood quickly.

"Tell me something Em," Pam started this time, "If, for whatever reason, you _knew_ she was going to leave again, would you still go back to her and try and do everything in your power to make her stay?"

Emily paused, she knew that even if Alison never truly cared for her again she would always want the blonde, she would want her to be happy, and though Alison was really pushing for their relationship to rekindle she was scared of being hurt again.

"I would always go back; I don't think I can live without her." She realised how dramatic it sounded but the last four months were a pretty big indication that she was right, even her parents were silently agreeing.

"Be with her Em. She needs you as much as you need her."

Emily stood from her bed and turned the television off, deciding to ignore all the media and instead listen to her parents.  
Alison was sick, bed ridden and begging for her to stay, why was it so hard to put the past behind her and be with the blonde. She had finally decided that the past needed to stay where it belonged; it was time to be with Alison.  
Moving to her bag that she had bought almost a week ago she packed all her things with her parents still on the phone who smiled when they heard her frantically quick packing.

"Go get her Emmy." Wayne smiled.

"Thanks Dad, thanks Mum." She paused to say goodbye, telling them she loved them she suddenly felt a wave of relief fall over her. The weight of her thoughts and problems seemed to disappear as she pulled her hoodie over her head and left the hotel room.  
She went to the office and quickly checked out, avoiding eyes and most people in general before heading down the road to catch a cab.  
Half an hour later she was at Alison's and walking up the driveway after Mason accepted her through the gate.  
Before she could knock Mason had opened the door and stepped aside to let her in.

"Hey Daniel." She smiled, not bothering to arguing with the tall man when he took her bag.

"Hey Emily, it's good to see you. She's in the entertainment room upstairs. If you need anything just call." He disappeared down the hallway after she said a quick 'thanks' before heading up the staircase.

The house was so large it was easy to get lost, however she was getting the hang of each hallway and room.  
When she had finally made it to the large entertainment room she found Alison curled up on her comfortable leather lounge with many blankets and pillows surrounding her.  
There was a water bottle and medication bottles on the coffee table between the large plasma screen television and the lounge, the room was dark except for the bright screen that was playing a movie providing a lot of illumination.  
She walked over to the blonde, who was oblivious to her presence, with determination but when she heard footsteps she turned immediately, only to smile largely when she realised it was Emily.

"Hey, Killer." She greeted happily though her voice was soft and hoarse. Emily bent down in front of her and grabbed her hands tightly.

"Ali..." She took a deep breath and looked directly at the bright blue orbs that looked a mixture of tired, happy and sad. There was so much she wanted to say, so much that was needed to be said but in that moment there was a combination of words that would explain everything, words that would help everything make sense.

"I love you."

There was a moment of silent as Alison established what Emily had said, questioning if it was real or if she was just imaging things out of exhaustion. But as she looked down at the beautiful brunette who held tightly onto her hands she realised that this really was happening. Emily was starting to forgive her.

"I love you too." She replied with tears welling in the corners of her eyes.

Emily reached her hands to Alison's cheeks and wiped away the tears that had fallen and she wasted no time in closing the distance between them.  
Dangling her lip mere inches away from the blonde's she held tightly to her, watching her react at how close they were, it had been a week since they had been this close and it had been four months since they had kissed. It made anticipation grow when the realisation of the situation hit them.  
Closing the remaining distance they kissed, it was soft and gentle but also full of passion and four months of angst and build up.  
As they kissed Alison pulled on Emily, pulling her so close that she had to move from the ground to the lounge, as she hovered above the blonde she felt her cold hands move to the back of her neck and pull her even closer.  
Alison's hands went from her neck to her back and held tightly, as if it would be the last thing she'd ever feel but when Emily's hands went to her waist she felt a tingling sensation that she had been missing for so long.  
Emily felt Alison's leg move up against her side, allowing even more space to close the distance between them, she was hovering above the blonde cautious to put any body weight against her.

"You won't hurt me." Alison whispered, as if she was reading her thoughts but it wasn't until the blonde's grip tightened around her back that she was forced to move closer.

"Are you sure?" Emily paused, unsure whether or not to continue being cautious.

"Please, just kiss me; I've missed having you so close." The desperation in Alison's voice was clear and Emily could understand it. There was nothing she wanted more in the last four months then to be close with the blonde once more; it consumed her thoughts and even her dreams.  
Allowing herself to let go Emily moved one hand to Alison's leg that had moved against her side, holding them gently together. The blonde was wearing loss comfortable slacks and every so often Emily would let her fingers move up and down the blonde's leg to her waist and underneath her lose shirt, her skin was surprisingly cold considering it had been under so many blankets, it worried her slightly.  
Alison began to shiver through the kisses when there was only Emily's body providing heat; though she was warm it wasn't enough.

"Here." Emily sat up to grab some of the blankets and shadowed her body with it before hovering back over Alison again, shielding her from the cold.  
Yes it was winter but it was still LA, however she was guessing Alison's cold temperature was nothing to do with the weather and more to do with her medication and the chemotherapy.

"Thank you." Alison shivered, though she was warming up quickly.

Wasting no time Alison moved her arms back around Emily and bringing her into another kiss; this one was harder but still soft in its own way. Passion was seeping through and it was making Emily crazy at how much she had missed the contact with the blonde.

"Ali." She moaned when Alison's lips lead away to her neck, kissing lightly from her shoulder blade and upwards, moving to the next shoulder Alison felt a small scar against her lips and realised it was from Emily's surgery. Opening her eyes she found her hand moving to the collar of Emily's jumper, moving it aside so she could get a good view of the scar.  
Emily realised what she was doing and took a deep breath, though her shoulder wasn't in as much pain as it use, it was still healing.  
When Alison couldn't get a decent look because the jumper was too thick to move aside without it bunching up she progressed to taking it off, Emily didn't object and went to help. Sitting up Alison followed her while lifting the heavy black fabric up her body, when it was off she lightly placed it to the ground and went back to Emily's lips while lying back down and bringing the brunette with her.  
Resuming the previous position Alison felt her legs move against Emily's waist and her hands around her back, she slowed their kissing to a complete stop and looked up at the beautiful young woman above her.

"I really do love you." She whispered as she went to investigate Emily's scar once more. It was larger than she had once thought but it looked as though it was healing well, it stretched from the very base of her neck and followed all the way down her shoulder, there was also a small scar in the middle going straight down beside her collarbone.

"And I really love you." Emily replied when Alison's lips began their own investigation of her shoulder.

It was a sensation that she welcomed because Alison's lips were warm against her skin and they provided comfort in such a delicate area, yes it was healed but if it were to be bumped or pushed on it would hurt greatly.  
Alison continued to kiss up and down the scar many times before moving back to Emily's lips and when they reconnected it was like they had gone another four months without touching.  
The kiss was silked with passion, it was climatic and it made both girl heart rates accelerate, they felt the heat rise between them and it was like the last four months had finally caught up.

"I've missed you so much." Alison couldn't help the words fall until it was too late but it only made Emily smile and deepen the kiss, it made her feel so wanted by the blonde.

"I won't ever let you out of my sight again." She replied confidently as the kiss grew further in anticipation.  
Alison's hands mimicked the anticipation and moved subconsciously underneath Emily's shirt, enjoying the warmth of the brunette's skin as she played and teased lightly with her finger tips. She may have been underneath Emily but she was still in control as her hands began pulling at the base of her shirt.

"So Ali, I think we're going to start you on - oh god! Wow I _really_ shouldn't leave you alone." Cece walked into the room unaware of Emily's presence until she looked down at the pair. Embarrassed but in no mood to lose her connection with Alison Emily sat up against the lounge, shortly followed by the blonde who had a large smile on her face snuggling up against her.  
Cece hadn't seen Alison smile like this since she had found about her condition but when she did it was because Emily was around, it made her feel content that even in such a horrible situation the blonde could still have a reason to be happy.

"Hello Emily." Cece smiled softly at Emily before sitting in a recliner across from them.

"Hi." She blushed a bright red before looking down at her hands which had been entangled with Alison's.

"Well I just wanted to let you know that I'm prescribed you some hydrocodone for your pain and it should help with your queasiness." Cece pulled from her pocket a small orange bottle full of small white pills and threw it to the rugged up blonde. Catching it Alison placed it on the coffee table and leant back into Emily who looked down curiously at her.

"How are you feeling?" Emily encouraged when Alison didn't say anything.

"I'm okay, just wish the pain would stop." Her head made landing on Emily's shoulder and she moved closer, hoping it would somehow it would make everything better but even with the strong pain killers it wasn't enough.

"Do the painkillers help?"

"A lot, I went a couple of days without them and I felt awful." Alison rubbed her head, feeling sweat develop when she didn't even feel hot.  
Emily let her hand play subconsciously with strands of Alison's soft hair, it wasn't until Cece shook her head subtly that she realised it probably wasn't the best idea not to touch it after just having chemotherapy.

"It's okay; it's not falling out yet." Alison said casually, noticing Cece's failed attempt at being subtle.

"Sorry." Emily felt silly for being caught but seconds later Alison's hand guided her own back to her hair and nuzzled deeper into her neck.  
As Emily lightly massaged her head Alison's eyes closed in ecstasy, it felt so nice and relaxing to just there and enjoy the simplicity of the moment.

"Since you're both here and you've both uh... decided to be a little more intimate than before, I need you to be careful Ali, you know it's important to stay away from any chances of getting sick okay?"

"Wow thanks Cece, how embarrassing." Alison rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Seriously Ali, this is important, as a doctor I need you to be aware of infection. The chemotherapy will, _if_ it hasn't already, weaken your immune system."

"So what would you like me to do then?" Alison would've crossed her arms but she felt Cece was being too serious to deal with her attitude.

"I'd feel a little more comfortable if Emily got a flu shot." Cece was obviously worried which meant it was serious, even Emily could tell from that.

"Cece-" Alison began but Emily interrupted.

"I'll do it; it's just a small needle okay?" She looked down at Alison so the blonde couldn't object.

"Well I'll leave you guys be, take those if you need them but _only_ if you need them okay?" Cece left without another word but her instructions were clearly a reminder that Emily must not have understood, however Alison nodded at her before she departed.  
Looking down with a quizzical expression Emily quirted an eyebrow before Alison quickly picked up that she was asking about Cece's strange statement.

"Hydrocodone is crazy addictive, so I should only use it when I'm desperate."

They sat in silence as they looked at the small orange bottle, it was definitely something Emily wanted to question, not just the medication but the whole experience.  
The chemotherapy, the cancer, she still had questions about it and more about everything even remotely close to it.  
She wondered how Alison was dealing with it all, considering she had been trying to carry it all by herself. She wondered if the blonde needed to talk about it because until this point no one had thought to push the subject in fear it might upset her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Her voice was soft, an innocent sign that she came in peace with the topic.

"There's not much to talk about."

"Not at all?" Emily playfully nudged the blonde that was snuggled warmly beside her. She smiled shyly before shrugging her shoulders, feeling weak for even wanting to talk about it, let alone actually talk about it.

"I guess it's hard, I didn't see my life planning out this way. I'm always in pain, I feel sick, I have to try and not throw up so I don't lose any of the chemo, hence why the rubbish bin is so close." She pointed to the small bin not far from them and sighed. "I'm always either cold or hot, there's no in between and before when I said I'm not losing my hair, I lied. It's starting to thin out and honestly I'm terrified to lose it."

"You've only had chemo once?" It wasn't really worded correctly to be a question but Alison answered for the brunette anyway.

"Once is enough to thin it and the second dose, which I'll be having in a week or two, is enough to make most of it fall out, apparently most people shave it off by then."

"Will you?"

Alison paused, let going of Emily's hand she began playing with her hair lightly, only to accidently pull some out. She sighed and held the small bunch of blonde locks, hoping it would just magically sit back on her head without a fuss.  
Emily noticed a tear sliding down Alison' cheek, quickly she took the hair from the blonde's cold hands and placed it in the bin while wiping away the escaping liquid.

"It's okay." She began comfortingly. "You'll always be beautiful, no matter what."

It was what Alison wanted to hear, especially because she doubted herself so much. She didn't feel beautiful and when she looked in the mirror she didn't see beautiful, her eyes weren't her usual radiant blue and the skin beneath them was dark and bruised, her weight was fluctuating madly and her whole body ached, she definitely didn't feel beautiful.

"Cece thinks I might need surgery." Alison knew she couldn't sugar coat forever, she knew Emily deserved to know.

"But I thought surgery was only for extreme cases with your cancer?" Emily said, causing Alison to quirk an eyebrow curiously at her. "I did some research on it a couple of days ago."

She replied shyly, aware that no one had told her much about the cancer, hence Alison's curiosity.

"Yes, well..." Alison began warily but she didn't need to continue for Emily to understand what she was thinking.

"It's bad... isn't it?"

"I didn't want you to worry, Em." Alison's voice was weak, indicating that she was scared to talk about the topic but Emily knew she needed too.  
This was hard for the both of them, it was hard for Alison because it meant breaking bad news to Emily, but it was hard for Emily because it would be hard to accept it.

"I want to know what's happening, Ali."

"I'm going to go through four sessions of Chemotherapy over the next two months, then I'm going to get some x-rays to see if it has decreased or increased in size and I'll go from there."

"So what if it has gotten smaller?" Emily asked hopefully.

"Try some more chemo and then radiation therapy but I think Cece's thinks it won't be enough, she's just too scared to tell me."

"It would be hard for her to deliver such news, Ali." Emily was trying to be reasonable, she could see why Alison was upset but she could definitely see why Cece was struggling.

As the day passed Alison fell in and out of sleep, she was hazy for the periods she was awake after deciding to take some of her new medication.  
It was just after two when she had woken up again, her head had made its way to Emily's lap and as she looked up she smiled contently.

"Good afternoon sleepy head." Emily giggled playfully as Alison stretched.

"Hello." She yawned in reply before turning over and nuzzling closer.

"Are you hungry?"

"Not really." It was an obvious lie that even Emily was surprised she caught onto; she could understand if Alison didn't feel like eating however, since she had said it was a struggle to not throw up most of the time.

"Should you try and eat something, even if it's something small?" She tried again.

"I guess." Alison sighed and looked up at her brunette beauty; her eyes showed the sympathy and softness that she had missed so much.

"I'll go get you whatever you want." She offered kindly causing Alison's smile to grow.

"There should be some fruit salad in the fridge; I think I can manage fruit." She sat up so Emily could move but as the brunette stood from the lounge she was already missing the contact. "Wait."

Alison murmured and grabbed Emily's hand, pulling her back down on the lounge with a smile she leant over and kissed the startled brunette, it wasn't a move she was expecting.  
However, happy to reciprocate the motion Emily pulled Alison closer until she was forced to straddle her, happily complying Alison moved her legs either side of Emily's and sat comfortably on top of her.  
Taking hold of both cheeks Alison found her body grinding ever so slightly against Emily's while the brunette' hands moved behind her back and under her shirt.

"Oh no, you can't get out of eating that easily. That's cheating."

Alison continued to move her body against Emily's until she was lightly placed back on the lounge by the breathless girl beneath her.

"After you've eaten, okay?" Emily promised and she crossed her arms childishly in response.

" _Fine_." She said playfully before Emily stood up, placed a small kiss on her forehead and left the room.

Emily smiled to herself as she walked down the hallway and made her way downstairs into the kitchen. It was an extravagant setting that's for sure.  
There counter tops were a shinny white marble, the cupboards were a matching light cream and most of the appliances were either black or grey. The fridge was un-necessarily large but it was surprisingly full for only one tenant, though she was starting to think Cece was beginning a permanent residency with Alison so she was close by. However for that particular afternoon Cece was working at the hospital and Mason was with his wife, enjoying baby drama.

As she searched the fridge Emily found a medium sized container of what looked like fruit salad, taking it out she placed it on the bench when she heard a noise coming from the living room.  
It made her jump slightly because she knew Alison was upstairs; being neurotic she grabbed a knife from the group sitting in a divider on the bench and then decided she was being dramatic. Putting the knife away she walked into the living room slowly, she found a book from one of the shelves on the floor but nothing else.  
Sighing in relief she picked it up and put it back in its original place before heading back into the kitchen to dish out some fruit salad for Alison.  
When she was done in the kitchen she began what felt like small journey to the entertainment room, walking up flights of stairs and down several hallways was a big change from her one bedroom apartment where the kitchen was connected to the living room and her bedroom was down a two metre hallway.

"Okay, I'll compromise with you; I only dished up the smallest plate-" She stopped when she entered the room, terrified to find Alison entrapped and struggling in Eric's hands. She thought she was hallucinating, she thought she was so tired and over stressed that her mind was playing tricks on her but as he looked up at her, his eyes surprisingly sorrowful she knew he was really there.

"Eric." She muttered while placing the bowl down and raising her hands up at him, making it known that she was posing no threat. "Let go of her."

"I can't." His voice was strained and helpless; it was almost as if he was begging Emily to end his pain. His eyes were blood shot and his cheeks were red, it was clear if he hadn't already cried he was going too soon.  
Alison tried to moved in his hold and talk behind the rough hand that covered her mouth tightly but she couldn't, the terror in her eyes showed enough to make Emily silently panic.

"Come on," She began, her voice soft and calming as she walked further into the room, "You don't want to do this-"

"You don't know what I want!" Eric yelled, making Alison jump and struggle more, she was panicking so much that without control she began to cry.

"Okay, I'm sorry." Emily moved backwards slightly, knowing that getting to close to the young man could send him over the edge.

As she looked Eric up and down she saw no signs of a weapon but with one hand on Alison's mouth and the back of her neck it was enough of a threat for her senses to be on point.  
He was sitting on the coffee table while Alison was awkwardly struggling on the floor; his knees were keeping her in place while he leaned closer to her.

"Cancer..." He began as he released half his hold to pick up the bottle of pills, turning it from side to side to examine it.  
Alison tried to struggle away from him but his hand just tightened around her jaw, causing a sharp pain to jolt through her.

"I always thought I would be the one to kill you." He pulled her face towards him, his voice not the usually strong deepness that would even scare Alison, it was weak and hoarse, and it was becoming clearer that Eric had been crying, a lot.  
Alison sniffed as Eric threw the bottle across the room in anger, it rattled on impact. Tears were pouring down her cheeks and onto his hand but he didn't seem to mind, he was too focused on Emily who was trying to figure out what to do.

"Eric, please..." Emily begged, knowing there was no way to convince the still grief stricken man.

"Please what?!" His voice cracking at almost every syllable.

"Don't take her from me, I just got her back. I can't lose her again." Emily bent down on her knees in hopelessness, she honestly thought at any moment Eric would hurt the girl she was so madly in love with.

"I lost my best friend!" His grip noticeably tightened around Alison's cheek, causing a small squeal to slip uncontrollably from her covered mouth. Emily cringed and wanted to push him away but she knew that wouldn't help. "She's not worth it anyway! Look at her! She's a media focused slut who even got with another girl while you were here taking care of her."

"She didn't get with Alyssa, Alyssa kissed her and that didn't go down well." Emily knew Eric was referring to Alyssa, at one point he must have seen for himself or through the media that they kissed, but she knew she wouldn't let him play mind games with her.  
Eric seemed stumped by her response, however as a tear fell down his cheek Emily felt her heart break as she realised how hurt he was.

"You were in love with him." She bravely identified the emotion and in response both Alison's and Eric's shot up at her.  
His grip lessened momentarily.

"He may not have loved me back but I will always love him." He looked away from both Alison and Emily and wiped away his tears with his sleeve.

"Don't do this Eric, would Luke have wanted this? Do you want this, to inflict the pain you're feeling onto me? Do you really wish that upon anyone?"

Eric paused and thought through Emily's words; moments later he released his hold and let Alison flee to Emily's embrace on the ground not far from him.  
She coughed several times from the lack of breath and fell sluggishly into Emily's hold.

"It's okay." Emily mumbled as she soothed the blonde's hair softly, ignoring the stray pieces that fell out.

Eric sat helplessly on the coffee table with his elbows on his knees and his face in his palms; he was crying heavily and panting softly. Scared for Alison and her condition Emily looked away from him momentarily, she cupped the blonde's cold cheeks in her hands and looked her in the eyes; they were red and looked even sorer than before.

"Are you okay?" Emily whispered and Alison barely nodded in response, she was too scared to focus on anything.

Eric stood from the coffee table and reached into the pocket of his trench coat, he was shaking vigorously as he pulled out the weapon Emily had been searching for earlier. Standing slowly she brought Alison with her and sat the shaking blonde on the lounge, tucking blankets over to keep her from the cold and to lessen the shock.  
Standing to face Eric again Emily was surprised the gun was at his side, he wasn't threatening them nor did it seem he was even interested in harming them but to be safe she raised her hands slowly, showing she again was no threat.

"Eric..." She said softly but when she took a step too close he quickly pointed the gun at her.

"Stay back." He warned and she complied. "What is your chance at survival?"

He pointed the gun at Alison but Emily moved with him blocking his line of fire, she gave him a bold expression and though she was terrified she was being surprisingly strong.  
Eric looked at her with a raised eyebrow; he noted her bravery and decided to use it to his advantage.

"What?" Alison rubbed her head, too tired and scared to understand his drastic conversation changes.

"Your doctor would have given you a survival percentage, what is it?"

"I didn't ask, Eric, I didn't want to know." Alison shifted on the lounge and brought her knees to her chest, she wasn't lying but he wasn't convinced.

"That's bullshit! Everyone wants to know." The gun shook dangerously in his hand as his voice scattered in his throat.

"I'm sorry." She murmured sincerely.

Dropping his gun to the side Eric looked helplessly over at Emily as if to double check Alison wasn't lying but if she was going to be honest she had never asked about a survival rate, it was too hard to even think about it, let alone talk about it.  
He was angry and confused, he couldn't understand why so much had happened when all he wanted was closure, though he was starting to realise that it wasn't going to come by killing Alison.  
Raising the gun again Emily thought he was targeting them but moments later he pressed the barrel against his own temple and cocked the chamber.  
She reacted on instinct and charged at him before he could pull the trigger, she pushed his body as hard as she could and managed to, with all the luck in the world, knock the gun away. He moved against her with no struggle at all but as they fell to the ground Emily's hands pressed hard against his chest, keeping him down. Within seconds his arms fell to his side in defeat, he didn't struggle and he didn't move, he just began crying.

##

"How did he even get inside?" Cece asked in disbelief, she was pacing across the room and had been for almost twenty minutes while they waited for Mason to finish talking with the police that had just arrested Eric.  
The pacing was driving Emily crazy but she was too polite to say anything, Alison however was too tired to not object.

"Cece, for the love of god stop pacing. It's making me dizzy." Alison had curled up on the lounge in the living room downstairs, when Mason had arrived after getting a rather interesting and distressing call from Alison saying Eric was in the house.  
He hadn't struggled since Emily had pinned him down, he just lay on the floor and cried until Mason arrived with the police who put him in hand cuffs, read him his rights and dragged him outside to the police car. He was silent.

"Miss DiLaurentis, I'm Officer Jacob, I wanted to thank you for being so patient today, I can tell you're not feeling well after what happened." The taller man walked in alone, though he did have a much younger, early twenties, boy follow him around in a new police uniform earlier. "My partner is in the car with Eric, we've got all we need so you'll probably hear from us in a couple of days about pressing charges and everything."

"What will happen to Eric until then?" Alison looked up at Officer Jacob; he seemed uneasy with answering but didn't hesitate either.

"Well he is being charged by the state for not obeying his parole requirements so he will be placed in custardy until a court date can be processed."

"Thank you, Jacob." Mason extended his hand to the young man and smile, obviously they knew each other. "Can you try and keep this out of the media?"

"Of course, consider it done." Jacob left without another word and left the room to be filled with an awkward silence.

Emily had been sitting silently next to Alison since the police had arrived; in fact she had been silent since Eric had tried to take his own life.  
She didn't know what possessed her to stop him but her instincts kicked in and suddenly she was on top of him and his gun was out of sight.

"Are you okay?" Alison asked her, noticing her traumatised state.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She lied but before Alison could question further Cece interrupted.

"So, he admitted to being in love with Luke, huh? This is probably going to sound insensitive but I always thought he was obsessing over you, not Luke." Cece shrugged as if what happened that afternoon was nothing out of the ordinary and it somewhat upset Emily but she was still too polite to object.

"You're not helping." Alison rolled her eyes and leant against the silent Emily, she could tell something was wrong but she knew she wasn't going to find out with Cece and Mason lurching around.

"Sorry." She murmured, finally catching the hint that Emily was still upset with what happened.  
"Well I've got to go back to the hospital, will you guys be okay?"

They both nodded and she left, Mason decided he was going to hover around for the remainder of the day but wasn't going to interrupt them unless it was necessary.  
When they were alone Alison turned to Emily with sympathetic eyes.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" She began inspecting Emily's body but was quickly stopped by the brunette's warm hands.

"No he didn't hurt me, I just... he was so ready to..." She couldn't finish her sentence but it wasn't necessary.

"He obviously felt it was what he wanted." Alison watched Emily process the day's events, she looked tired and emotionally exhausted.

"I guess I just wasn't expecting it." She laid further in the lounge and rest her head against Alison's shoulder.

"You saved his life, Em."

Alison mimicked Emily's action and placed her head softly against her, it was a long day that she wasn't expecting the outcome of. It was however, a fairly positive outcome, Eric was in custardy and out of an environment where he could hurt them.

"I know." She murmured, her tone low and short, indicating she was still upset.

"Hey," Alison began, she lifted her head and softly cupped Emily's cheeks in her hands. "You are amazing, you saved me from Eric, and you saved Eric as well. Em, you are so brave and strong."

Emily smiled in Alison's hold, it was what she needed to hear and it calmed her nerves slightly.

"I am?"

"Absolutely, you're my hero." Alison pulled her in for a passion kiss and it brought Emily's nerves to a calming low.  
Though their troubles were far from over in that moment they could focus on something positive, having each other.

 **Hope you guys enjoyed, sorry if there's a few grammar mistakes I was keen to upload.  
Reviews are always appreciated.**

 **-Aemstar**


	18. Chapter 18

_**Chapter Eighteen**_

"Ugh, what a shitty way to end Christmas Eve." Cece muttered incoherently as she walked into the kitchen. It was just before mid night and Emily was nowhere near the calming depths of sleep, Alison however was so asleep upstairs a power tool wouldn't wake her.  
It had been a rough evening, even after Eric was taken away, Alison was awkwardly silent combined with exhaustion from the medication and Emily was feeling overly distracted by the entire ordeal that neither could seem to function a proper conversation.

"How was the hospital?" Emily tried politely as she looked up from her hot tea.

"Well, as good as it can be on Christmas Eve. I'm kind of glad I'm a specialist because I'm not usually required in the Emergency room."

"Specialising in cancer? That's oddly ironic." Emily couldn't help her scepticism fall from her tired lips but Cece didn't seem phased by her honesty.

"Tell me about it." She threw her dark gray blazer over a spare chair and walked to the fridge. "How's she doing?"

"She's alright, tired. I think she's putting on a show though." Emily sipped at her tea, letting the warm liquid comfort her exhausted throat.

"That's Ali, she'll make it out that everything is fine."

"I don't like that she feels she has to pretend around me." She voiced, though she wasn't sure why she was being so opened with Cece, perhaps it was due to the fact that in less than an hour it was Christmas and it wasn't how she saw herself spending it.

"She's been doing it for so long that I think she doesn't realise she's doing it, give her time. She cares for you." Cece began making herself a tea and looked over at Emily; by the brunette's expression it was clear she needed to hear something positive.

"Why are you up anyways?"

"I couldn't sleep." Emily mumbled shyly.

"Well obviously, _why_ couldn't you sleep?" Cece chuckled sarcastically as she continued making her tea.

"Christmas used to be my favourite holiday." Emily was looking down at her tea because there was no way she was looking directly into Cece's dominating eyes, those eyes were like Alison's, they could get anything they wanted in one simple movement.

"Used to be?" Cece had noticed Emily labelled her emotion of past tense with regret, as though she didn't actually want to lose the holiday as her favourite.

"It's just not the same as what it used to be, my parents moved shortly after I graduated and most of my friends disappeared too. And I only think Hanna stayed because she felt she had too." As she thought through the situation it all seemed logical, depressing but logical.

"Hanna? Ah yes, Ali told me about her, the best friend with a feisty side." Cece chuckled again as she took a seat beside Emily.

"That's the one." She smiled, it was definitely true. "She wanted to get into fashion but it never happened."

"You guy are still young, who knows what could happen in another five years." Cece had a point, there was no need to rush into college, though it would always be ideal to get it over and done with younger there was always options.

"So what did you like so much about Christmas?" Cece continued, aware that Emily was somewhat lost in her thoughts.

"Everyone was always together; my dad would always manage to come home from tour and... I don't know. It was when I most felt like a family."

There was a moment of silence in which Cece nodded and took a second to appreciate where Emily was coming from but before she could respond there was a loud groan emanating from upstairs, followed by Alison calling for Emily.  
Standing from the stool Emily bolted upstairs and to Alison's room. Turning to the bed she found Alison hunched over the side with her head in the bucket, she was groaning in displeasure before she managed to look up at the brunette who had run to her side within seconds.

"I hate this." She mumbled before throwing her head into the bucket again.

"It's okay." Emily said soothingly as she held Alison's hair away from her face.

Cece stood by the door and watched Emily care for Alison, it was definitely a hard job to take care of someone so sick but to do it without even a sense of hesitation showed true compassion on Emily's behalf. There weren't many people in this world that would completely give themselves up for another person but there Emily was, holding Alison's hair and gently rubbing her back as the chemotherapy took its toll.

"Make it stop, Em." Alison pleaded before wiping her forehead free of sweat and then her mouth.

"Come here." Emily pulled the crying blonde into a comforting hug while continuing to sooth her hair.

"No, I've just been throwing up." Alison objected but she didn't fight against Emily's hold. Ignoring the small protest Emily kissed her forehead softly before lying her down and moving the bedspread back to cover her.

"I'll be right back." She stated before picking up the bucket and leaving to clean it.

Returning five minutes later with the empty bucket and a bottle of water Emily walked by Cece and smiled.

"Why don't you get some sleep?" She offered kindly.

"I think I will, I'll be down the hall if you guys need anything." Cece turned and disappeared before Emily could think of a response, though it was obvious one wasn't needed when she heard Cece shut her door behind her.  
She drew a deep breath before walking back into the room and placing the bucket on the floor beside Alison.

"Here." She encouraged as she took the lid off and handed the exhausted blonde the plastic item who gratefully took it.

"I can't believe I have at least three more sessions of this stupid drug." She mumbled after drinking more than half of the contents.

"It will get better with time." Though Emily sounded convincing she was subconsciously hoping that time wouldn't make a liar out of her. "Come on, go brush your teeth, you'll feel a little better after that."

Emily stood and helped Alison slowly, after the days' events the blonde was obviously exhausted and standing seemed to be a struggle but after a few short seconds she was confidently walking to her ensuit and brushing her teeth.  
Minutes later they were back in bed snuggled up together under the blankets.

"I'm sorry that you have to put up with all this." Alison's voice cracked, displaying that her words were laced with tears combined with fatigue.

"I'm not _putting up with_ anything," She began before taking Alison's hands softly. "I'm doing this because I love you and I'd do anything for you."

It was the most honest sentence she had ever spoken and she was so confident with herself that Alison's eyebrows subconsciously twitched in surprise before her lips reacted in a large smile. She would've kissed Emily if she hadn't just spent the last five minutes losing her lunch, so instead she was pulled into a deep hug and enjoyed the warmth that the brunette supplied.

"You are so perfect." She whispered in Emily's ear before bravely kissing her neck.

The pains in her stomach seemed to subside after having water and brushing her teeth but the unearthly feeling of being sick still lingered, so she kept her mouth a distance away when her lips disconnected from the soft skin of Emily's warm neck.

"Yes, you are." Emily chuckled while cupping the blonde's cold cheeks in her hands.

"You _know_ that's not what I said." She giggled.

"I am almost positive it was." Emily leaned in slowly but Alison drew away quickly, when she gave a puzzled expression the blonde rolled her eyes as if the answer to her avoidance was obvious.

"I've just been spewing my guts up and you want to kiss me?" The question was rhetorical but Emily decided to answer anyway.

"Everyone deserves to feel loved, no matter what the situation is." She tried for another kiss and even though Alison was smiling at her kind words she still moved away. "What if it was the last time we would ever be able to kiss?"

"Well that's just not fair." Alison groaned.

"Come on, you brushed your teeth anyway, I don't see what the problem is." Emily was playfully pleading as Alison tried to think of reasons not to come in close contact with the brunette, even though she desperately wanted too.

"But doesn't it gross you out?" She questioned shyly.

"I'm _so_ grossed out." Emily giggled sarcastically before pulling Alison in for a passionate kiss.

Alison didn't retaliate because secretly she did want the deep connection with the brunette and as their lips moulded together she had forgotten all reason as to why she wouldn't want it in the first place. Her hands went to Emily's hair and her fingers tangled tightly in her soft brown locks, pulling gently she encouraged the brunette to move above her and with little uncertainty she slowly did edge closer. Moments later she was above Alison, holding her weight so she would cause no pain for her but as time passed the heaviness on her shoulder became too great and she was forced to take the pressure off and lie against the blonde.  
Alison greeted Emily's warmth happily and subconsciously her hips moved into her, though it wasn't what the brunette expected she'd be lying if she said she didn't like it, though her actions would pretty much have given that truth away regardless.

"Is this okay?" Emily paused her grinding motions to give Alison a chance to respond.

"Yes." She whispered as she buried her head into Emily's neck while wrapping her arms tightly around her back.

As their lips reconnected they felt fire ignite between them, their stomachs twisted and turned as their lips recreated the feeling and before they knew it Emily's hands were reaching underneath Alison's shirt as though they had a mind of their own. Less than five minutes later both shirts were on the ground, Alison hadn't worn a bra in days so she was left bare while Emily was left in a comfortable crop top.

"No bra?" Emily question curiously.

"It hurts to wear one sometimes." Alison murmured softly, though she regretted speaking the moment she started. "Cece thinks it's an indicator that there might be a chance cancer hanging around in my lungs later."

"I thought your lungs were clear?" Emily suddenly felt awful for even hovering above Alison let alone putting her weight against her, so she was off the blonde and lying against the bed within seconds of her words leaving her mouth.

"Em it's fine, don't go." Alison pleaded and her arms reached desperately for the uneasy brunette.

"You just told me you were in pain." Emily pointed out sternly, trying to make Alison aware that she was not willing to put any further pressure on her weak body.

"It hurts more to watch you move off me." She whispered honestly and Emily instantly felt even worse than before.

Reacting on impulse she cupped the blonde's cheeks and soothed over her soft cool skin, it was difficult to know what to do when her body was screaming one thing while her brain was screaming another. There didn't seem to be any rational part of her – not that was loud enough to overpower the irrational parts of her anyway.  
Her body ached for Alison just as much as the blonde ache for her but it was hard when the seductive mood was killed with the idea of cancer and though she desperately tried to ignore the "Big C" that lingered so dangerously in front of them it wasn't enough to be completely blocked from her mind. She couldn't handle the thought of hurting Alison, she would never forgive herself and that seemed to be the most rational part of her.  
She sat beside Alison and observed her, it was difficult to know what the difference between what was right and wrong when the whole concept had been jumbled dysfunctional before her, the girl she loved was being _teased_ by death, played with as though it was some medalling game that she could potentially lose.  
If she lost it would cost so much more than money or reputation.  
This was Alison's life that the Grim Ripper was tossing so carelessly in his hands, twisting and turning between his bony fingers like it was merely a fake poker chip that meant nothing to him or to anyone else.  
Emily saw more than she wanted, she didn't want to think of the prospect of death, and it hadn't even really occurred to her until that moment that Alison _could_ leave her forever. It was always cancer yes, but she had always considered it easily fixed and that was a naive assumption, it was like it was tempting death more, teasing _him_ to take the next move instead of them.  
She considered her thoughts carefully, had she not just said to Alison "What if it was the last time we would ever be able to kiss"? Wouldn't that make every moment with the blonde so much more precious? But what if she were to hurt Alison, would she be able to forgive herself? What if, what if, what if?  
As Alison waited for a response she searched Emily's eyes as her thoughts fought aggressively against each other, it was in that moment she realised how much Emily was struggling internally, how hard she had tried to keep up appearances for her well being.

"Em? Please, don't get lost in your thoughts. I'm still here and I don't plan on going anywhere."

"There's only so much you can promise, Ali." Emily whispered hopelessly, letting the wall of doubt she had been building up over time finally collapse.

"Don't think about that." She urged, trying on a constant basis herself to avoid the subject in her head.

"No, I can't lose you, _again_." Emily croaked and in reaction she sat up bringing the bed spread with her, she feared Alison couldn't handle her honesty she put her head in her hands as her elbows dug harshly on her crossed legs and hid from the blonde's beautifully bright eyes.

"Emily..." Alison murmured supportively.

"It will kill me." She continued and silence filled the air shortly after. It was hard for Alison to hear but she could handle it, she was strong and was willing to fight, fight against this disease and fight for the girl she loved.

"It won't, you're stronger than that Em." She was trying to give Emily some well needed confidence but it didn't seem to be working.

"I couldn't even last four months."

"That was different and I'm not going anywhere." Alison knelt behind Emily with the bed spread wrapped securely around her body and leant against the brunette while wrapping her arms tightly around her warm neck. "I'm not going anywhere."

It was a soft whisper that caused a small shiver to course through Emily's body, she did believe Alison and she wanted to believe that the cancer was nothing, a mere flu that could be fixed with a few tablets and some rest but that was childish and she didn't want to tempt fate.  
She was trying to be neutral and supportively while also being comforting and wildly blind to the fact that it was a deadly disease, Emily's mind was going around in circles and it didn't seem to be a benefactor to anyone.

"Promise?" She felt weak to ask and she knew it was unfair of her to ask such a big promise from Alison but she needed it, she needed some form of instruction and unsighted confirmation that Alison wasn't going anywhere, even if it was just a momentary lapse of blind judgement.

"Promise." Alison said confidently with no fault in her voice and it was exactly what Emily needed to hear.

A soft beep came from the small alarm clock on Alison's bed side table, indicating that it had just hit twelve o'clock in the morning but it wasn't until the blonde shifted slightly behind her that Emily realised what day it was.

"Merry Christmas, Em." Alison whispered as she sat beside her.

"Merry Christmas, Ali." She smiled and they shared a sweet kiss, though moment's later passion seemed to fill the air once more and Emily's hands began the adventurous journey to the soft sheets that separated her from Alison's beautiful bare chest.  
Slowly she pulled the fabric down causing a friction Alison needed a large intake of breath for, she was becoming quickly aroused at the thought of Emily without her crop top and became so distracted she almost didn't realise the brunette's lips against the skin of her shoulder blade, until a moan uncontrollably fell from her lips.

"Keep doing that." She moaned again and Emily chuckled.

"This?" Her lips vibrated gently against Alison's skin as she questioned the blonde and it sent shivers down her spine.

"Yeah." It was almost a whimper that left Alison's lips as Emily continued kissing in a gentle roughness up and down her neck.

"Yes ma'am."

-X-

It was just after nine when Emily woke up, she was surprised when the usually LA bright sun didn't blind her. She looked out through the half closed shades and saw that the sun seemed to be nowhere in sight, dark black clouds engulfed the skies and the soft rumble of thunder echoed in the hills. She shifted slightly and realised Alison was nuzzled against her bare chest, the bed spread was between them but Alison's hand was securely around her waist while her own arm was underneath the blonde's neck holding her close. She was comfortable and content, something she felt she hadn't truly experienced in a long time.

"Morning." Alison mumbled, her head still rested on Emily's chest and her eyes still closed.

"Morning, how did you know I was up?" She questioned curiously.

"Your heart rate changed." She sighed into Emily's chest before rising from the bed, bringing the sheets with her. "I've got to take some medication."

"Do you need help?" Emily offered kindly while following the blonde in her sitting position.

"I think I'll be okay." She sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed her silky dressing gown that was lying at the end, putting it around her naked body she tied the string around her waist and smiled. "Remember this?"

She played with the small bow she had tied and giggled playfully while Emily thought back, she definitely remembered it, how could she forget? A smiled spread across her lips as she recalled Alison tying her hands together above her head, it was the day of many "first time's times", the first time they had slept together, the first time both girls had seen a different side of each other, the first time Emily had ever orgasmed, and the first time she had been tied up.  
It was definitely a day for firsts.

"I do remember it." Emily smiled playfully while shifting closer to her.

"I do recall it went a little something like this." Alison quickly straddled the startled brunette, she didn't know where she had gotten the energy from but she was taking full advantage of it. "Give me your hands."

It was what Alison had said to her the first time she went to bind her hands and she didn't object as the blonde's hands took her own when she held them in front of her and began tying a tight knot. As Alison guided them above her, Emily thought to herself that it was a surprising way to begin the day but again, she didn't object.

"Keep them there."Again, it was exactly what she had said the first time and suddenly both girls felt aroused at the enactment.

"Good girl." Alison purred and it drove Emily crazy.

"Ali? You've gotta take your medication-" Cece paused as she entered the room; she didn't seem overly surprised by the sight before her and didn't react how Alison or Emily expected. "Okay... um... what did I say about getting infections?"

"Oh god Cece, could you be any more embarrassing?" Alison rolled her eyes and brought the bed covers around Emily who was a bright shade of red.

"How would you like me to react?" She leant against the doorframe with a large smirk across her lips and she folded her arms.

"I don't know, like a normal person."

"Okay," She began and turned out of the room before walking back in with a fake surprised expression. "Oh my goodness, you two are having _sex_ , wow I never thought I would see the day."

Her tone was so sarcastic Emily almost forgot her hands were still tied above her head, she was just glad most of her chest was covered by Alison and the bed spread.

"You're funny." Alison began and she quickly grabbed Emily's hands and untied her so she could do up her open dressing gown, it was then Emily realised the bruises scattered around the blonde's body but she decided not to comment until they were alone again.

"I don't want you to catch an infection Ali, your body can't fight the cancer, chemo _and_ an infection, I'm not trying to be your mother but this is important." Cece sounded genuinely concerned and completely oblivious to the mood she had interrupted but as Emily threw on the shirt and shorts Alison had passed her she did notice Cece nod sympathetically to her.

"I know." Alison said softly, aware that her health was a serious matter. "I just... want to be able to have the same experiences."

" _So_... the tying up is a repeating experience?" She laughed before entering the room when both girls were covered respectfully.

"Shut up." Alison muttered, embarrassed for the first time ever. Emily was mildly surprised that the blonde was even more humiliated on being walked in on than her, it seemed there was some first for that day as well.

"Okay, I'll stop. Come on, medication time." Cece walked to the side of the bed to assist in getting Alison to the kitchen.  
As the morning went by no one really said anything, they enjoyed coffee and breakfast that Cece had made with the occasional chatter, but otherwise they were all sitting in the living room with the television on enjoying the silence.

"You don't have a Christmas tree." Emily pointed out randomly when a commercial came on through one of the many Christmas movies that were being played that day.

"The pines in the tree can be bad for my lungs; it's the same with flowers, it could cause infection basically." Alison didn't seem offended but Emily regretted her oblivious nature, she didn't even consider it because really it wasn't something anyone would normally think about.

"I'm sorry." She wanted face palm herself but with one arm wrapped securely around Alison and the other in the blonde's cold hand she had no option but to compensate with rolling her eyes.

"Why? You couldn't have possibly known that was the case. Usually I'm too busy for a tree anyway."

"Too busy for a tree? It's hardly Christmas without a tree, well it is, there's always family but the smell..." Emily took a deep breath as if she was trying to remember. "The smell _is_ Christmas."

Alison looked over at Cece who had been unusually quiet, her face was buried in her phone for most of the morning but that was how it always was, she didn't take offense to that. However she seemed distracted, like there was something she was hiding but Alison assumed she was over reacting.  
Cece looked up from her phone at the talk of Christmas, she understood a little more about Emily because of the holiday and it was obvious the way Emily spoke of it that she still loved it. She wondered briefly if Alison knew that detail of the brunette, or if it had ever come up in conversation.

"I've never had a real tree; my parent's always had a fake one because they said the real ones are hard to take care of."

"Well that is true. I must have killed about four or five in my life time because I forgot to water them." They shared a small laugh before resuming their silent cuddle.

By the afternoon Alison was feeling tired and sick, the medication not doing its job to the nature that she wanted it too, she was lying down on the lounge while she waited patiently for Emily to come back from her shower.

"I got you a present." Alison murmured when she noticed Cece wasn't looking at her phone for the first time in hours.

"Really?" She was surprised.

"Yeah, it's nothing big because I didn't have a lot of time but it's in the drawer of the coffee table."

Cece raised an eyebrow curiously before leaning forward and opening one of the four small drawers that sat underneath the small wooden table. She pulled out a small box that had a bow attacked to it, opening it she laughed softly when she understood what it was.

"It's a shock proof, water proof, dirt proof case. I know you're a bit accident prone with your phone so I thought I'd get you a decent case to make it last. I just had to make sure it was Cece proof, I couldn't find anything with that particular description though." She laughed softly and watched as Cece excitedly put the case on her phone.

"Thanks, Ali. I love it." She laughed; Alison definitely knew how to shop for someone. "Did you get Emily anything?"

"No, I knew I should have but I got that for you a while ago before Emily and I were back together, I feel bad that I didn't." Alison rubbed her head; she didn't know how to prepare for Christmas and presents because usually she wasn't big on the holiday.

"I think she misses Rosewood." Cece began and Alison sat up when she realised how serious her friend sounded. "She told me that Christmas used to be her favourite holiday until her parents moved."

Alison would've responded if Emily hadn't walked into the room moments later, though luckily she seemed oblivious to their conversation Alison couldn't help but wonder why Emily hadn't talked to her about it, however deciding not to bring it up she moved in Emily's arm as she sat down beside her once more.

The day passed and it seemed Christmas had passed just as quickly as it had arrived, though Emily was happy she got to spend it with Alison.  
Cece said she had some family dinner to attend and left before sun down and she didn't return that evening.  
Alison was determined to talk to Emily about the holiday but the effect of her medication had taken its toll and suddenly it was the morning after but Emily was nowhere in sight. The only thing she found was a small note on her pillow causing a small amount of panic to rush through her before she read it.

 _Gone for some fresh air, I'll be back later.  
I love you._

 _-Em_

Alison clutched to the note and decided that this was the time to take advantage of being alone. Grabbing her phone that was on her bedside table she quickly dialled a few numbers and waited patiently for the person on the other end to answer.

"Hello?" They asked curiously as they were clearly unaware of who the unknown number was.

"Hanna, its Alison..."

 **Hey guys I know this chapter wasn't overly long, and not super eventful I just wanted to update what I had so far because I've started some new work that requires almost six hours of travelling each day, gotta love trains haha. However this work is only for two weeks or so, so I should be back up and running in no time! :)  
Anyways I thought I treat you guys to what I had, it's not much but I'm hoping it'll get you all through.  
Hope you enjoyed, let me know what you think okay? Reviews are always appreciated! And also, I hope everyone is well and healthy, feeling good and happy.  
Thanks guys**

 **-Aemstar**


	19. Chapter 19

_**Chapter Nineteen**_

Emily hadn't been walking that long and she was up before sunrise, though it wouldn't have mattered; the morning was much like the one before, miserable and cloudy. Though she kind of liked it that way, not many people were out and she could walk the back streets of Hollywood without feeling like eyes were always on her, even if occasionally they were. The sudden vibrating of her phone in her jeans pocket disrupted her from her jumbled thoughts, she pulled it out and looked at the caller ID half expecting to be Alison but she was mildly surprised when she saw that it was Mason.  
"Hey Daniel, what's up?" She answered happily.  
"Hey Emily, just wanted to see how you were going, Alison said you were out."

"Yeah I just needed to get some air." She was heading up a small path that lead away from the inner city, she felt it was much better being away from all the noisy traffic.  
"Well it is almost seven, have you packed everything?" He seemed casual but Emily had no idea what he was talking about.  
"Packed?" She lifted an eyebrow curiously, what were they packing for? At seven in the morning no less.  
"Yeah, didn't Alison tell you she's got to go back to her old place in Rosewood to get some affairs in order?" They both sounded rather confused.  
"Is she really in any condition to be travelling?" Emily was concerned; surely it was not safe for Alison to be travelling such large amount of distance, even if she was in the best care. It wasn't that she didn't trust Mason to take care of the blonde but more there was only so much she could be protected from and it was hard to accept the fact that Alison's security was heightened because of her condition.  
"I offered to do it for her but you know what she's like." He seemed unimpressed but he was right, there was no way he was going to win against Alison, even if she was sick.  
"Well I'd better head back then." Emily turned and began walking the way she came, she didn't really know the streets all that well but Alison's house was easy enough to find, it was the probably the biggest place in Hollywood.  
"Okay, I'm picking you guys up at eight so we can get catch the flight by nine."  
"Why are we leaving so early? This feels early for Alison."  
"Well given that it's over a five hour flight and Philadelphia is three hours ahead, by the time we get to Rosewood it will be close to five. Alison needs time to organise this business before settling in for the night." They said their goodbyes and Emily was on her way back, she was trying to think of what Alison could possibly be organising that couldn't be done over the phone. It did seem odd that she would go back and not just at least hire someone to do it but she did know what Alison was like, she liked her privacy and she liked doing things herself as it always assured her of the best results.  
She wasn't even aware Alison still owned the home in Rosewood, she was under the impression that she would've sold it when she left but apparently that wasn't the case, then again she had never even thought to go back to the house when Alison had... left.  
By the time she had made it back it was just before eight and as she walked through the front door she saw a small travelling bag with her name on it.  
"Hey, I'm so sorry; I thought I told you about this." Alison was limping down the stairs as she rushed into Emily's arms.  
"Sorry I'm so late." She said as she inhaled the smell of Alison that she had missed while she was out.  
"It's okay."  
"Ali, why are we going back to Rosewood in such a rush?" She felt confused that Alison seemed so eager to leave; she did know the blonde liked the small town but it seemed drastic to leave so quickly.  
"Oh I've actually had this planned for about two weeks I've just been forgetting about it. Do you not want to go back; we can stay if you want?"  
"No I want to, I just... I don't know."The sound of the horn beeping outside interrupted them and before Emily could speak again Alison was leaning down to pick up her bag.  
"This is all the stuff you brought here."  
"Thanks for packing it; I wouldn't have gone out this morning if I knew we were leaving. I'll carry it." She took the bag from Alison's weak arms and smiled before heading outside. She heard the blonde lock up the house and head for the stairs while she handed her bag to Mason, she turned to see Alison struggling, one arm was wrapped around her jumper covered body while the other helped keep her balance. Rushing to her side Emily linked her arm around the blonde and helped her down the stairs slowly. She was limping from exhaustion which brought to Emily's mind the concern of travelling, however she didn't bring up her thoughts until they were in the car and heading to the airport.  
"Won't flying be bad for you?" She tried bravely.  
"Yes, but it's a private jet so I won't have to worry about other people's germs besides yours and Mason's but as long as he doesn't cough on me I think I'll be fine." She laughed in returned, somewhat avoiding the subject.  
A soft chuckle emanated from the front seat of the car, Mason enjoying Alison's small joke was enough to make Emily smile, their relationship had changed drastically over the last few months and it was obvious both were a lot more comfortable with each other.  
"I'll try and control my coughs." He laughed again.  
"A private jet?" Emily raised an eyebrow in surprise as she tried to turn the subject back around.  
"It's not mine its James'; personally I have no need for a private jet." She shrugged her shoulders casually as if the thought of a private jet was nothing out of the ordinary.  
"That was nice of him to let you use it." Emily chuckled and took a gentle hold of the blonde's hand, rubbing it softly before looking out the window at the busy Los Angeles traffic. "How long are we staying in Rosewood?"  
"I'm not sure how long this will take with the house, we might have to stay the night but you have to get back for work anyway." Alison's voice was soft and cautiously optimistic; she was clearly looking out the other window as well, trying to be as sensitive with the news as she could.  
"Wait, what?" She turned and it caused Alison to give her attention. "We didn't discuss this."  
"You can't stop working, Em." The blonde pointed out matter-of-factly, she was trying her usual tone where it would be the end of discussion but Emily had grown to stand against it and while Mason was driving in the front seat he found it rather amazing to have Alison's power questioned, mainly because he would never do it.  
"Given the situation Alison, I think it's appropriate to consider all my options." Emily's words were as stern as Alison's, which again Mason found amazing but he tried his best not to listen, considering it was none of his business.  
"I really don't think you should give up your career for me." Alison shrugged, her attitude presenting the most neutral and calm Emily was not expecting from the blonde.  
"And I really think I can make my own decisions." Emily countered quickly, her hand releasing Alison's and folding into her lap, out of reach.  
"Em..." She tried to grab her hand anyway but was quickly denied by Emily's strong eyes.  
"So what you were just planning on leaving for California after this and not taking me with you?"

"I didn't know what I was planning; look can we please talk about this when we get to Rosewood? I need to rest." Alison was trying her best to contain herself, usually she would just raise her voice and retaliate but lately she hadn't felt the urge to do that, and she had never wanted to do that with Emily. She cared for her too much.  
"Fine." Emily faced out the window again and didn't speak for the rest of the trip; that was including the five hours and ten minute flight which would have been awkward if Alison hadn't been asleep the whole time. Mason had been sitting in the cock pit talking with the caption and making sure everything was in order, all the usual stuff. Which meant Emily was left alone to her thoughts in the very expensive private jet, she had spent most of the time gawking at the luxury of everything because she had only been on a plane a few times, in coach, so having a whole plane dedicated to flying specifically one person wherever they wanted was a very large step up.  
As the time passed she thought her anger for the situation would subside but really it only grew, she couldn't think of what to do about Alison but she couldn't figure it out while she was asleep.  
Trying to ignore the little voice's in the back of her head that were having an argument about how she was either over reacting and under reacting Emily rested her head until her thoughts managed to settle. This wasn't the most important problem she should be focusing on but she couldn't help it, was Alison planning on leaving her behind again? That wasn't fair, not after everything, how could she just leave her in Rosewood? She was over thinking this, Alison hadn't said she was leaving but she didn't say she wasn't either. Repressing the thoughts once more she willed her body to rest, however the moment her eyes closed the caption had informed them they were landing soon and should put seat belts on. Alison was still asleep but Mason entered the room less than a minute later to wake her up, she was hazy and frazzled but did as she was told.  
By the time they had landed and got off the runway it was almost four thirty, Emily was never good with times and it threw her off that she was only one the plane for five hours but she got on at nine and got off at four, it was weird and felt completely wrong but mathematically it was correct. Mentally it just threw Emily's whole brain out of swing.  
With Mason's driving they arrived in Rosewood by five thirty and Alison's eyes had not left her mobile the moment she got off the plane, Emily wanted to ask but she was still upset about the whole conversation and she felt even questioning something completely irrelevant would start an argument.  
"Are you hungry?" Alison questioned, her eyes still not leaving her phone.  
"No, thanks." Emily murmured while keeping her eyes securely out the window and away from Alison's bright blue orbs that would make her forget why she was upset in the first place.  
"You should eat." She tried to take Emily's hand again but was rejected, which would have hurt if she didn't understand the brunette's though process. She had plans though and she didn't want to ruin them, she liked being a little secretive and if that meant holding back on the truth for a little bit then she could live with that, only for a little bit though because she felt bad each moment Emily was upset with her.  
"So should you." Emily pointed out, quickly taking Alison's hand when she realised how cold and bitter she was being.  
"I'm sorry about all this, just let me figure out everything with the house and then we can talk okay?" Alison seemed tired even after all her sleeping but Emily could understand why, it was just hard to be left in the dark sometimes, she knew being in a relationship with someone who likes their privacy that was bound to happen but it didn't make it hurt any less.  
"I can wait a little longer." Emily smiled and looked out the window once more, Mason was driving down the gravel driveway to the house, nothing had seemed to change over time.  
The property seemed well kept, the lawns were freshes mowed, the water fountain in the centre was still clean and functioning and even the several assortments of different flowers had been pruned.  
"I won't be long." Alison squeezed her hand before letting go and waiting for Mason to open the door. When Emily looked out Alison's side she noticed Derek was standing on the porch of the home with a young woman, she was in a tight suit that complimented her body greatly and her long blonde hair was tied up in a soft pony tail. She didn't recognise the woman but she assumed she had something to do with the house.  
She smiled before Alison got out of the warm car and was escorted inside, Emily figured she was supposed to stay where she was but decided against waiting; she opened her door and headed into winter wind, it was bitterly cold and it sunk into Emily's jacket before she quickly wrapped her arms around her body. She thought momentarily about retreating back into the warm confinements of the Audi but stood strong and moved her feet forward into the wet grass. There wasn't any snow but it was obvious it had snowed at some point and was going to again, in the far corners of the property that was hidden by shade still had small hills of icy snow slowly melting away.  
The property was mostly the same except for the fencing, the large black gates were now block from view by large green hedges that couldn't be seen over or through, they were also well kept and blocked any view from the outside, though Emily thought the trees had done enough of that she didn't really think to question the detail of the hedges. She walked to the water fountain display that sat directly in the middle of gravel path that circled around it before heading back out the gate; she was still amazed that no one seemed to know this place was here. Surely something so extravagant would be big news in Rosewood? Well she had certainly never heard of it before Alison, it made her think Alison had it made specifically for herself. It was her style, in the wilderness, beautiful trees and flower everywhere you looked, secluded and secretive. The house was old fashion but stunningly beautiful, the architecture was something you would see in a house from your grandparent's generation but with the updated moderations of technology and style of the twenty first century, it was like Alison had moulded her personality straight into a structure of a home.  
Born with contemporary ideas but old at heart. It made Emily smile, that was exactly Alison and it suddenly made all her worries about the future disintegrate; momentarily anyway.  
She sat down on the fountains edge and breathed in deeply, the sound of the water splashing freely from the statue of an angel, the wings were stretch out tall as she played a harp, it was very detailed. As Emily looked across the pool of water at the base holding the angel she read a small quote: 

" _Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires._ "

The quote sounded familiar but she couldn't pinpoint its source and there was no reference beneath the statue in the fancy writing. She made a note to ask Alison later, or to Google it if she had no idea either.  
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Alison questioned from behind her, making her jump slightly. "Sorry." The blonde apologised quickly before sitting down next to her. They sat quietly for a moment before Emily answered; she was taking in the rest of the tall statue fountain piece before looking back to her beautiful blonde.  
"It is." She agreed tiredly, suddenly feeling the weight of the day crashing down upon her. "Who said that quote?"  
"Shakespeare, well more specifically Macbeth, Act 1 scene 4 I believe." They were both looking at the quote; Emily was curious by the choice in quote but didn't know how to question something that was so ambiguous. She didn't know if all statues came with quotes but if they did surely not ones so dark.  
"Why so depressing?" She forgot about being sensitive, it was hard to dance around a question when Alison was around; usually she was one for being completely abrupt anyway.  
"I like it; it's about hiding your deepest desires for the well-being of not just yourself but others. Shakespeare must have had some demons when you think about it." Alison mused softly as though she had some sort of connection with the quote, as she looked over at Emily whose eyes were still stuck on the engraved message she wondered briefly if the brunette would ever truly forgive her for leaving, though it was hard to move on and she had, the initial feeling of being betrayed once more may still remain.  
"Like you did?" She whispered in realisation as she was beginning to understand Alison's actions slowly, granted it had taken her four months but the anger was gone and her fear of being left seemed to disappear.  
"Yes, like I did." Alison replied before taking her hand carefully. "But I'm thinking about my deepest desires now as I think of you, I can't live without you Emily and I can't hide how much I want you. I'm sorry I left, it just seemed to make sense at the time." She was holding Emily's hands tightly, being careful to make sure Emily was aware of her seriousness because after everything there was nothing she wanted more.

"I do forgive you, you know? I just don't want to be left behind again." Emily spoke honestly but kissed Alison's hands softly to make sure she was aware of how serious _she_ was being.

"I'm not leaving you, I promise. Can we talk about this when we get back to yours? I'm getting cold."

She stood and waited for Emily to join her. She was wrapped in over two layers of clothes and another warm jacket because Cece had made it clear that there was going to be a big difference in temperature and therefore was more of a risk of infection. Alison was rugged up but it didn't stop Emily from wrapping her arms around the blonde's body as they walked to the car.

"Mine? We're going back to my place?" She was suddenly insecure; her small two bedroom apartment was nothing in comparison to Alison's walk-in-wardrobe let alone the rest of her house.

"What's wrong with your place?" Alison lifted an eyebrow curious before getting into the car where Mason was waiting patiently.

"Nothing, _technically._ " She murmured quietly and she heard a small laugh come from the front seat again.

"Where did you think we were going to stay?" Alison questioned as Mason started the car and drove away from the house Emily would always remember fondly.

"Um, I don't know, I haven't been thinking about anything really." She hadn't had a decent amount of sleep in a while which seemed to impact her thoughts, she was passed the point of over thinking and was now at the point where she could think at all. She was kind of happy with that. Alison smiled sheepishly before snuggling into Emily's chest.

"Seatbelt, Miss DiLaurentis." She laughed quietly and Alison quickly flicked the middle seats seatbelt across her chest before quickly wrapping herself in Emily's hold again. "It's sexier when you say it." Emily rolled her eyes before resting her head on Alison's and looking out the window, she didn't know what was going on inside Alison's head but she didn't quite have the courage to ask. Given everything that has happened it was normal for the blonde to be a little preoccupied, it was normal for her to forget about spontaneous trips to Rosewood and it was normal not to have a plan after said trip but she couldn't complain because right then and there she had Alison with her and she was going to enjoy the time she did have.  
Mason drove slowly down the icy roads; it had recently just rained in the small town so going fast would have put unnecessary pressure on the car. As he drove through the almost deserted town he would occasionally look in the review mirror to see Emily's eyes cautiously watching Alison, he could tell she was worried, he could tell she was upset and confused but she was hiding it well. Emily was staying very strong but he was afraid it would only be a matter of time before the pressure got a little too much.  
He pulled the car into the driveway, making sure he wasn't being followed and that there wasn't anything out of the ordinary in the quiet street. As he parked in Emily's garage he quickly got out and went to Alison's side to open the door for protection, it would seem unnecessary but it was part of his job to be overly protective.

"Ali, what is going to happen tomorrow? Are you going to leave for California?" She was cautious with the question but Alison had never answered it before. She _had_ to know.

"Em, please, I'm not leaving you, I promise you! Stop freaking out." Alison had her arms wrapped around her body again; she was shivering aggressively and they were in the cover of a separate garage. Emily was beyond worried as she bought Alison into her arms and as they slowly made their way up the stairs.

"It's kind of hard when you keep avoiding the conversation." She hesitated with the topic but decided to be honest.

Alison had made it half way up the staircase when she needed to stop and catch her breath; Emily was by her side holding her tightly, giving her support. Mason was behind, ready to catch if anything were to happen, he was just being his neurotic body guard self.

"We'll talk about it inside, okay?" The blonde puffed before continuing and within the next couple of minutes they were on Emily's front door step waiting for the brunette to unlock her door.

"Feels like I haven't been here in forever." She said lazily as she fished deep in her pockets for her keys. As she unlocked the door Alison looked behind her and over at Mason, she nodded and he looked up and down the hallways. Entering the pitch black apartment Emily dumped her keys on the closest table and turned to help Alison inside, it wasn't until the door shut that a loud cluster of yells filled the room.

" _SURPRISE_!"

Turning around with a jump Emily was met with a bright light filling the main living room, revealing her apartment to be covered in Christmas decorations and Hanna, Spencer, Aria, their boyfriends and even Emily's parents all dressed in Christmas themed clothing, her father was wearing his army dress suit but had a Christmas hat to lighten the seriousness of it.

" _Merry Christmas_!" They all yelled as she realised what was happening.

"Merry Christmas." Alison leaned into her ear and whispered playfully as she studied her reaction.

"Wait... you did this?" She whispered back but before Alison could reply Pam quickly rushed to Emily's side and pulled her into the tightest hug the brunette had ever experienced.

"Merry Christmas, Emmy." She chimed with excitement.

"Merry Christmas, Mum." She smiled before coughing slightly when the hug was becoming too much.

"Hey Emmy." Wayne said next, his eyes full of the softness she had always remembered.

"Hey Dad." She mused softly and he quickly brought her into a less suffocating hug but it was full of affection and adoration. He kissed her head lightly before squeezing her tightly and pulling her closer.

"Merry Christmas, baby." He almost whispered.  
"Merry Christmas." She snuggled into his chest tightly and it was then she realised she had missed her parents so much, she felt bad for not trying harder. "I've missed you."

"We've missed you too." He responded by outstretching his arm to Pam and quickly pulled her into to embrace.

Alison watched as a small tear fell from Emily's eye, it was so quick she brushed it away within seconds but the blonde noticed it and it was then she realised how important Emily's parents meant to her. Alison had never been close with her parents, especially after everything that had happened with Luke but as she watched Emily wipe that small tear away she could immediately tell that family meant something to her.

Emily looked up at Alison and smiled; patting her father's back she left his hold and moved back to the blonde's side.

"Mum, Dad, this is Alison." She took Alison's hand as she introduced her, she allowed her arm to snake supportively around the blonde's hip as she was obviously shy for meeting Pam and Wayne, her behaviour was slightly out of character because normally Alison was one for being confident.

"Mr and Mrs Fields, it's a pleasure to meet you." Alison had never forgotten her manner, over a long period of time hanging around Emily it was just easier to be less formal but in this instant she was aware that Pam and Wayne would have already made a judgement about her, especially after her leaving Emily behind in Rosewood and how much she struggled with it. Of course they would have already painted a picture in their minds.

"Oh Alison, it's lovely to meet you." Pam spoke first and she quickly pulled Alison into a warm hug. "And it's Pam." The older Fields woman corrected quickly.

"Thank you, Pam." Alison smiled, she wasn't expecting Emily's mother to be so welcoming so quickly, not that she was complaining.

"Merry Christmas, dear. I'm so glad you organised this. I was so happy to get the call from Hanna."

Emily looked over at her friends, she didn't realised Alison had gotten help from them as well. Hanna winked happily and she noted that she would have to thank her friends later.

Wayne had been silent, he was watching Alison carefully, observing her actions and her mannerisms. He couldn't help his army side coming out but he wanted to make sure Emily was really being taken care of. He didn't realise everyone was looking between him and the blonde until it was almost awkward with silence.

"Welcome to the family, Kid." He wasn't hesitant the moment he saw Emily's eyes flicker to Alison and her hand grip eagerly at her hip. Wayne hadn't seen Emily smile at a girl like that since Paige and that was way before all their problems and before she began verbally abusive, he wished he hadn't allowed that to happen and he wished so badly he had done something about it.  
Emily hadn't smiled like _that_ at all since Paige, he could tell and there was no way he was going to take happiness from his daughter.

"Thank you, Sir." Alison looked quickly at Wayne's uniform, there were several different coloured badges and patches spread across the navy fabric which showed how loyal the man was to the army, she recognised one badge that symbolised he had been in combat and it was then she understand how protective of his daughter Wayne was and Alison knew she had to take as much care of Emily as she could provide, no matter how sick she was.

"I'm off duty for now, it's Wayne." He smiled kindly. "You take care of my Emily, won't you?"

"Of course I will. She means everything to me." Alison titled her head into Emily's shoulder and kissed it softly, aware that it was the injured side. Pam's hands went to her mouth in an expression of happiness; she sighed contently and looked to the others who were all snuggled comfortably into their partner's side.

"Well, Alison you've met Spencer, Aria and Hanna but this is Caleb, Ezra and Toby." Alison had briefly seen the boys at certain points but had never really met them personally. As she greeted and shook their hands they all politely introduced themselves before everyone slowly made their way further into the apartment.

"Now dinner will still be a few minutes so you can all mingle amongst yourselves." Pam noted and it was the first time Alison had actually inhaled the scent of the apartment, the warm smell of roast beef and potato's filled her lungs and she immediately felt her stomach twist in displeasure, the aroma was exquisite and her mouth salivated but since the chemotherapy she hadn't felt like eating much, her taste buds had change and her stomach could barely handle anything more than toast. She was frustrated with the confliction, she wanted to enjoy this meal but she hadn't been feeling well for a while.

"You okay?" Emily whispered as everyone began making conversation between themselves.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She kissed the brunette's cheek quickly and hugged her.

"Dinner is ready." Hanna said as she helped the others with bringing over the plates of food to the table.

-X-

They were in the middle of dinner when Emily noticed Alison hadn't eaten much at all.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She leant closer and placed her hand comfortingly on the blonde's leg.

"Yeah, it's just the chemo; it changes my taste buds and takes away my appetite."

"Do you feel sick?" Emily asked, concerned for the blonde's health and well being.

"Not at the moment but I'm afraid eating will change that." She flicked the food with her fork in silent frustration, she desperately wanted to eat this food that everyone had worked so hard for but she couldn't help what her stomach was doing.

"You don't have to eat, okay?" Their whispering seemed unnecessary since everyone else was chatting loudly and seemed completely unaware of their conversation.

"Your Mum went through all this effort." She mumbled, feeling guilty.

"We'll I'm hoping you'll stick around because I'm sure there will be other times where she's going to go through all this effort." Emily smiled hopefully and Alison giggled.

"I'm moving back to Rosewood." She said casually before taking a sip of her water, she watched as Emily's expression changed drastically quick from calm to stunned in seconds.

" _What_?" She almost squealed and everyone's conversation stopped in surprise. "I'm sorry everyone." She giggled in delight and Alison's smile grew as the brunette tired to hide her excitement.

"Care to explain, Em?" Hanna raised an eyebrow curiously, she was completely stunned and interested by the brunette's random outburst.

"I'm moving back to Rosewood." Alison interjected when Emily was frozen with excited silence and shocked expressions filled the room as everyone flittered what Alison had said.

"You are?" Hanna asked, excitement slipping through her own voice.

"I decided about two weeks ago." She looked over at Emily and winked.

"So that's why you went back to the house?" Emily questioned and Alison nodded, suddenly it all made sense, she had never been happier and she couldn't help but quickly kiss the beautiful blonde that sat beside her. Pam and Hanna shared an arrangement of " _awww's_ " while Aria smiled happily while moving against Ezra's chest, Spencer looked over at Toby in displeasure as she was the only one who still seemed uneasy with the news; however no one seemed to notice.  
Conversation went back to normal moments later and by the time dinner was finished and everyone was helping clean up Emily quickly took Alison's hand and cupped her cheek with the other.

"Thank you for this." She cooed before kissing her nose tenderly then tucking her head into the blonde's neck, inhaling her scent. A quick flash and a click from a camera echoed in the room and both girls quickly looked up to find the source; Pam was smiling playfully and gave the camera to Wayne before continuing with cleaning up. Rolling her eyes Emily looked down at the blonde beside her and winked.

"I'd say you'll get used to that but I'm sure you already are."

"True." Alison giggled. "Will you excuse me? I'm going to fix up my hair and make sure my scarf is hiding... _everything_." Alison was talking about the bruises around her neck; they were the after math of the chemotherapy, well more the aftermath of how weak the chemotherapy makes her body. She looked weak but most of her hair and makeup covered up that fact.

"Of course." Emily kissed her forehead before she left and Wayne was quickly at her side. They decided to section themselves off to the lounge and turned on the television to the football game.

"She seems really wonderful, Em." He mused as he sipped at the beer Pam had given him.

"She is." Emily agreed.

"Is she okay? She didn't eat much?" She wanted to tell her parents about what was going on but she knew it wasn't right.

"Yeah, she's just not feeling that great I guess." They turned to watch the game and was silently joined by Alison five minutes later. She looked exhausted but showed no signs of faulting, though truth be told Emily would still worry and when she went to ask how the blonde was doing the sound of the football game roaring loudly broke the soft hum of mumbles between everyone. Someone had scored, neither Emily nor Alison were paying attention as to whom, but before anyone could speak again the game was cut to a commercial when the commencement of the half time break rolled through.

" _Good afternoon Philadelphia..._ " Some news report went on and no one seemed to be interested, that was until Alison's name echoed from the screen. She rolled her eyes, surely on the day after Christmas the tabloids had better things to report on then pry into her life.

" _For a while now Alison DiLaurentis seemed to disappear off the radar and it wasn't until a couple of days ago that we got word of a small gathering between the crew and producers of her movie which took place at her mansion in The Hills. Her co-star Alyssa Miles was also captured at the celebrity's property, bringing to question their relationship once more until the long forgotten Emily Fields was also captured there, it seems that even in the largest mansion in LA wasn't big enough for both young women..."_ Photos of the ordeal that Emily remembered clearly flashed across the screen, Alyssa kissing Alison, Emily interrupting them, it was all very embarrassing but no one seemed to have the courage to look away from the screen until Hanna leaned across Caleb to whisper to Spencer and Aria.

"She has a _mansion_? Geez."

"Shut up, Hanna." Spencer snapped, she was too engrossed by the news report to focus on Hanna's joking.

" _Talk had been sweeping the rumour mill that Alyssa and Alison were a couple after the quick disappearance of Emily Fields, at first these images taken by an anonymous source were quite convincing..._ " More photos of Alison and Alyssa kissing flashed across the screen and she hid her face out of embarrassment, as if meeting Emily's parents wasn't going to be hard enough?

"This can't be good." She whispered bitterly, loud enough that the brunette beside her could hear.

" _The sudden interruption by Fields who had been spotted countless times in the last week around Los Angeles but this was the first time with the two seen together, only to be quickly joined by Charlotte Drake, one of the top doctors at LA Hospital. Reports say Miss Drake has been living with her old friend ever since the sudden halt in filming of Miss DiLaurentis' film "Love Affair"..._ "

"Interesting title choice." Emily mumbled but Alison was so consumed by the report she didn't seem to hear anything else besides her heart beat in her ears.

" _There had never been a statement released to the press as to why the actress couldn't continue shooting immediately, that is until today..._ "

"Oh no." Alison muttered, her voice clearly filled with distress and disbelief, though she continued watching in hopes it was some bogus rumour.

"... _Reports from an anonymous source have identified the real reason to why Alison DiLaurentis will not continue in her role of the movie..._ "

"No, no, _no_ , they can't do this." Alison rubbed her head, watching as the situation slowly and painfully fell apart in front of her.

" _...It has been revealed that Alison herself informed her co-workers over the small get together that she is suffering from cancer and that she has taken time to begin treatment. It is believed she is to not return to work until such time where she will be consider healthy..._ "  
Alison stood from the lounge and grabbed her phone in a hurried roughness out of her pocket, everyone's head was turned to her, their mouths gaped opened in shock and horror, but the only person who could manage to move or speak was Emily who quickly changed the channel and placed her hand on the blonde's shoulder supportively.

"I've got to make a few calls, excuse me." She directed to everyone before disappearing down the hall and into the confinements of Emily's room, shutting the door behind her she forced the tears to stay behind her glassy eyes.  
The lounge room was filled with silence besides the television but Emily still felt completely trapped, she couldn't even imagine how Alison felt.

"She... has cancer?" Hanna was the first to speak, which everyone else was grateful for.

"Yes." The brunette sniffed before wiping a tear away and Pam quickly pulled her into a tight and comforting hug.

"What kind?" Spencer was next.

"I don't think I should say too much, it's not my story to tell." Emily answered as she hugged her mother back.

"How long has she had it?" Aria tuned in.

"They're not entirely sure and she didn't know until a few weeks ago." Before anyone else could ask one of the many questions they had, a loud thud emanated from Emily's room, followed by a cracking and Alison cursing aggressively, which would've made the brunette laugh if it weren't for the circumstances. "I'm going to go check on her." Emily almost ran from to her bedroom before she heard Pam, Wayne and her three friends round up the boyfriends and rush them out of the apartment.

"Will you tell Em to call me if she needs me?" She heard Toby say before she closed the door behind her, she probably would've smiled if, again, the circumstances were different.

Looking on the floor for the source of the loud thud she found her old vase in a million different pieces, _It was about time that ugly thing broke_ , she thought to herself.

"He signed that agreement, Derek! Get his ass in your office and begin questioning, I want to know how much he got for selling the details of my miss fortune for his greedy benefits." Alison was almost screaming into the phone and Emily could immediately tell Derek was trying his best on the other end to remain calm, who wouldn't be? "What do you mean he's denying it? Who else would it be? That snake of a man will sell any information to turn a quick buck!" She was pacing back and forth wildly but Emily didn't stop her, mainly because she was too scared too.

"There's no proof? Then what is the point of the fucking NDA? What is the point of making a big fucking deal of people signing it when they can just deny everything?" Derek spoke for a while, Emily tried to hear what he was saying but Alison was too far away from her to hear.

"It's supposed to scare them? Are you kidding me? You find out who talked Derek! Or you can kiss your job goodbye!" She hung the phone up without saying goodbye or waiting for Derek to reply, she quickly dialled a few more numbers and placed the phone to her ear again. As she waited for the blonde to finish Emily sat quietly on the bed. Placing her hand on her favourite quilt she realised how much she had missed her bed, her apartment, all of it. Alison looked down at Emily and saw the brunette grasp the fabric between her fingers; she filed it away in her head for later.

"Mason," She answer quickly, "Get a hold of Jack, in fact get a hold of everyone who was at that meeting. Question them all and get back to me." She hung up the phone without another word and looked down at Emily who was still playing with the quilt.

"You shouldn't be so hard on Daniel." She murmured innocently.

"Just Mason? Not Derek?" Alison quirked an eyebrow curiously.

"I'm not a fan of Derek." Emily answered honestly.

"I _swear_ if this was Jack or Alyssa I'll call an assassin." She puffed angrily as she remembered why she was so upset. Emily wanted to laugh at the comment but she couldn't get the idea of the blonde being slightly serious out of her head.

"Hey, calm down, its okay." Emily stood ad walked to Alison's side, pulling her into a tight hug.

"I'll buy you a new vase." Alison cried slightly into Emily's shoulder and snuggled as deep as physically as she possibly could into her body.

"Don't worry about it, it was broken before that anyways." It wasn't a lie, it was probably why the cheap glass broke so easily from the short fall to the ground anyway, the carpet would usually break its fall

"This isn't fair, I should have been the one to tell everyone." She whimpered helplessly.

"I know sweetie, here lie down, you need rest."

"What about everyone?" She wiped her tears away with frustration as Emily helped her into bed.

"I think they'll understand." Wrapping Alison up in the warm winter blankets Emily even tucked her in tightly before kissing her lightly on the lips.

"Mmm, I could get used to this." Alison giggled through a soft sniff, feeling slightly better at Emily's comforting nature.

"I'll be back in a bit, call out if you need anything." Alison nodded softly before rolling over and shutting her eyes.  
Emily left the room not long after and re-entered the lounge room to have Hanna, Spencer, Aria and her mother chattering quietly between them, she cleared her throat when no one realised her presence.

"Is she okay?" Pam asked first, noticing how stressed Emily looked.

"For now, she's a bit... angry but that's to be expected after everything that's happened." She grabbed some paper towel and a plastic back, then went looking for a brook but could not remember where she had left it, though considering the size of her apartment she figured it wouldn't be that hard to find.

"What about the cancer?" Hanna tried to sound sensitive.

"What about it?" Emily placed the items on the bench and gave up in her search to find the broom, she would deal with the broken glass later when her mother and friends weren't following her around.

"Well what's going to happen to her?" She pushed carefully.

"She's already started Chemotherapy, so far she has three to four sessions left, depending on how she react. Then she will move onto radiation, given everything goes smoothly." Emily spoke rather neutrally about the topic which gave Pam the inclination that the brunette had either had a lot of time to process what had happened or she hadn't acknowledged it at all and this was her way of coping.

"Is that... why she looks so sick? Or is it the cancer itself?" Aria asked supportively.

"The Chemotherapy makes her weak and tired, the cancer is affecting her inner body more than the outer." Everyone nodded slowly, unsure of how to respond.

"What kind of cancer is it?" Spencer pushed again, it was the first thing she had said since Emily had re-emerged from the bedroom and the brunette didn't appreciate the insensitivity.

"I can't say Spencer." She repeated, her voice full of warning but Spencer ignored it, childishly.

"You can't, or you _won't_?" She was bitterly stern.

"Spence..." Aria muttered with hesitation. "Don't."

"No, this isn't right, someone's got to say it." Spencer's arms were folded tightly, she was as unimpressed as Emily but neither of them seemed to be back down.

"Say what?" Emily looked between the four woman, even her mother was hesitant.

"I will not watch you go through the last four months again. I'm sorry she has cancer, I really am-"

"Are you?" She interjected just as bitterly.

"Yes..." Spencer continued. "But she _left_ you, then she sent you that NDA and then suddenly you're in LA and back together with her? Only to find out she's terminally ill? Come on, Em. You've got to see how this looks."

Anger bubbled deep within Emily, she didn't like how ready Spencer was to forget about the situation Alison was in, sure the brunette could agree with some points but that didn't give her the right to be so disregarding to Alison's situation.

"Who said anything about terminal?" She blurted out, anger seeping through.

"I just assumed-" Spencer began but Emily raised a hand to stop her.

"What makes you think you can assume anything about Alison and I? Emily was in no mood but she didn't care. No one tried to stop the argument that was unfolding before them, partly because they were too interested in what was being said. The conversation was moving so fast it was like Pam, Aria and Hanna were watching a tennis match.

"The moment you asked me about the Non Disclosure Agreement." Spencer said factually.

"Yeah, you weren't supposed to tell anyone about that by the way." Emily muttered, unimpressed.

"It doesn't matter Emily, it's obviously not under contract now otherwise she wouldn't be here with you."

"That doesn't give you the right to reveal personal information, _obviously_ Alison likes her privacy."

"Being a celebrity probably wasn't the best career choice for her then."

"You are on very thin ice, Spencer." Emily warned, her arms tensing and her fist clenching out of a growing anger.

"Okay guys, calm down, if Emily doesn't want to talk about it then that's it." Pam stood bravely between the Mexican standoff.

"Do you agree with her?" Emily directed towards her mother who was silenced by the question. "I can't believe you guys."

"We just care about you, as well, what about your well-being? Are you being taken care of?" Aria defused the situation quickly; it was amazing how such a small person could have such a strong voice.

"She's taking care of me too." Emily promised, looking all of them in the eye, pausing for a second longer when she caught Spencer's.

-X-

The tension in the room seemed to diminish, slowly but surely. It was almost eleven thirty when she looked at the time and she was surprised that even in such an awkward tension time still seemed to fly with her friends and her mother around.

"I'd best be going; I know Wayne's probably worried." Pam stood up and went to finish her glass of wine.

"Yeah, I should go too, Toby said he was waiting with Caleb and Ezra at my parents house in the barn and no offense Hanna but your boy is accident prone." Spencer laughed and they all stood. Everyone said their goodbyes and made small apologises for what had happened, they also apologised for Alison's cancer but Emily didn't really know how to respond. To be honest she was more frustrated about the argument.

"I am sorry, you know?" Spencer said as the other three slowly pulled on their winter jackets.

"I know, me too." Emily smiled honestly.

"We just love you and don't want to see you hurting."

"We've all made mistakes, Alison wasn't the one putting the alcohol into me. That was my choice." Emily made a point that Spencer would have to agree with if she still wasn't uneasy about their relationship, being a best friend it was her job to worry.

"I'm sorry for how I behaved, it's just... an interesting situation."

"Tell me about it." Emily chuckled and they shared a tight hug.

"Love you."

"Love you too, Spence." Emily smiled and then quickly moved to hug Hanna and Aria. The three left together and then it was just Emily and her mother.

"I'd offer you to stay but I know you'll be missing Dad and you don't get much time with him." Emily said as she looked between the door and Pam.

"Maybe we could have coffee tomorrow? Your father and I have to head back to Texas in the afternoon but I'd love to see you and Alison before then."

"Sure, come around whenever." Emily smiled, finally starting to feel at ease after the tense conversation between her and Spencer. "I'm sorry about before, I guess it's just been hard. It's hard not sharing everything and you and Dad were so supportive about me getting back with her, it was slightly confusing to have you take Spencer's side. Even if she did have a good point."

"I understand sweetie, I really just want to make sure you're going to be okay, we're so far away and I don't like it." Pam gave her daughter a tight hug, she really did miss having Emily around all the time and she was disappointed that she only got to spend the day with her; she didn't particularly want to spend it in an awkward atmosphere.

"Things will work out, okay? We'll be together again soon. I promise."

"I love you very much Emily, I'm sorry about this evening."

"Don't stress Mum, I love you too." Saying their goodbyes Emily once again found herself alone in her apartment, Alison had never woken up but she was expecting that. The blonde was the combination of exhausted and pissed off which never mixed well with anyone.

Emily looked down at the five empty wine glasses on the small coffee table and sighed, even after two full glasses she didn't seem to feel affected when she sort of wanted to feel at least tipsy. After the long evening she had just endured she could think of nothing better than a small glass of whiskey, after cleaning the glasses and putting them on the sink to dry she found the old patterned whiskey glass in the top cupboard and filled it up.  
She remained in control and put the bottle back, giving no temptation to easily pour another glass, even though it was easily done.  
She sat down on the lounge and waited for time to pass, after finishing the whiskey she didn't find the strength to resist the second glass, the weight of everything was bothering her, she was still so angry at the media and how Spencer and her mother responded, it wasn't what she expected or wanted from the people she loved most.  
Alison wasn't there for the worlds entertainment, sure she was an actress but that didn't mean her entire life was on display and as Emily continued to think of the blonde and her struggles, the pregnancy, the loss of her first love, the cancer, all of it, the sudden hit of alcohol gave Emily the desire to go and hold the blonde. She wanted to comfort her, to help her, to make all the pain and suffering disappear, even if it wasn't physically possible. She was angry, along with sad and distressed, she thought she had dealt with everything but it seemed she hadn't. Why was everything bothering her suddenly? It wasn't as though she was drunk and couldn't function a rational thought and then the realisation hit her that it was the alcohol, she didn't need a lot but she had had enough to make her judgement cloudy.

Standing, she headed to her bedroom to lie beside Alison, feeling guilty for not being able to control herself enough to say no to the second glass of whiskey. She needed to talk to Alison about it, vent her feelings and frustrations, and though it may have only been the alcohol talking she knew she wanted the confidence.

Opening the door clumsily she stumbled in only to feel several sharp pains shoot through the ball of her right foot.

"Fuck! Oh _shit_." She cursed uncontrollably, causing Alison to jump awake and turn the bedside lamp on. "Oh good fucking _damn_ it."

" _What_? What's wrong?" Alison was beyond panicked as she jumped from the bed, her hand on her chest out of fear.

"Don't come over here, I forgot to clean up the stupid glass." She placed her drink on the closest table and hopped away in frustration. " _Fuck_." She stuttered in pain as she headed to the bathroom.

Alison rubbed her tired eyes and walked carefully over to where Emily had been standing moments before, curiously she picked up the almost empty glass and brought it to her nose for inspection. The harsh sting of whiskey ht her nostrils so quickly she almost gagged, following the sound of Emily's grunts of pain she found the brunette sitting on the baths edge almost butchering her foot aggressively with a pair of tweezers.

"You promised." She rose the glass at eye level but Emily seemed more disgruntled than expected, she had a feeling it wasn't to do with the alcohol.

"Promised what? Ah- _far out_." She whaled in displeasure as she roughly pulled out a piece of glass from her foot.

"How many have you had?" Alison was becoming more curious about Emily's behaviour, she didn't seem overly intoxicate but more tense and agitated.

"What?" The brunette looked away from her foot in distress. "Oh uh, I don't know two I think." She didn't think much of the drinking because she was more focused on everything else going on in her life, she didn't even pick up that Alison was upset for a particular reason.

"Here." Alison took the pair of tweezers from Emily's fumbling hands and lightly took the remainder pieces of glass from the brunette's bloody foot.

"Thanks." She murmured shyly, suddenly aware of why Alison was so upset her, by looking at the half empty glass of whiskey. "Ali, I'm not drunk, I had a glass of wine with the girls and then a whiskey before I came in here, that was the second one but I didn't want to finish it." She justified honestly.

"What's wrong, Em? Why did you have a drink, why didn't you wake me up and talk to me?"

"Because... you're sick and need rest." Her words, though true, wasn't exactly what Alison wanted hear, the blonde was so sick and tired with the whole situation she just wanted to feel somewhat normal. Sighing quietly she grabbed a spare towel and wiped the blood from Emily's foot, finishing it off with kissing her shine and smiling.

"I can still talk." She replied, trying to hide the frustration that no one was treating her like they normally would.

"I'm mad at the media, at Jack and Alyssa, I'm angry about the cancer and I am also still pissed at Spencer and I haven't gotten over Mum taking her side." Emily couldn't help her thoughts fall from her lips, she definitely wasn't drunk but that part of her brain that control rational thinking was slightly dysfunctional from some alcohol dosage.  
Alison was surprised by the answer, she wasn't expecting it, mainly because she was half expecting she would have to pick at Emily's thoughts before getting even close to a proper response.

"Wait... why are you mad at your Mum and Spencer?" She figured the media and everything to do with the cancer was obvious but in terms of her friends and family, Alison had no idea what she was talking about.

"Spencer thinks it's coincidental that you wanted me back right after finding out about the cancer." Emily played with her knees with her finger tips, too shy to look at Alison but the moment the words fell from her lips she realised how offended the blonde was going to be.

"I never looked at it like that, so why are you not happy with your mother?"

"Because she wouldn't stand up for me, we sorted everything out and we're all okay. It's just so _fucking_ frustrating." Emily rubbed her head before standing carefully, Alison followed while chuckling. "What?"

"I don't think I've ever heard you swear this much." She mused as they walked back into the bedroom and began the tedious task of cleaning the glass from the carpet.

"It's badass, I'm too much of a pussy when I haven't had anything to drink, it helps me loosen up." Emily giggled, her attitude changing entirely. Alison rolled her eyes at the brunette's lack of ability to stay somewhat civil, she had to admit she kind of liked it.

"What? You don't like the word pussy?" She teased before putting the last of the glass in the small bin by her desk.

"It's not on my list of top ten favourites, no." Alison folded her arms, and in one action she was back to the formal and mysterious young woman Emily had met in the bar all those months ago. The thought made her smile.

" _Pussy_." She drew out teasingly making Alison cringe the entire time.

"Oh goodness, sit down." She commanded, the way Emily liked it and so she did as she was told, only to then fell back hard while stretching out her hands and legs like a big star.

"Lighten up, soft cock." She threw her hands up when Alison gave her an unimpressed expression.

"Should I be concerned about your sudden obsession to over abbreviate, for your _entertainment_ , on the lower part of the human anatomy?" She remained standing with her arms crossed; she liked watching Emily, observing her, taking in every detail of how the brunette functioned because it was enlightening.

"You know what I love about you?" She diverted quickly, causing Alison's eyebrows the raise and lower quickly as she tried to follow her train of rapidly changing thoughts.

"What's that?" She encouraged, slowly moving closer but not making any movement to get into the bed, yet.

"You're... traditional. It's like you're from the eighteen hundredths but with your own modifications." She smiled innocently for a moment before wrapping her arms into her chest and moving up the bed to get comfortable. "Remember when we first met? You spoke so... elegantly. I fell in love with you then and there." She sat against her pillows and watched as Alison tried to figure out what move she wanted to make.

"You did?" The blonde smiled, moving closer to the bed but still not sitting.

"I didn't even know your real name until the end of the night but I was so taken by you the moment you said hello. I even stopped drinking so I would remember you." She said honestly and Alison thought back to all those months ago.

"I do remember that, I'm going to be honest, I was so surprised no one recognised me, I only had a scarf on, granted it covered most of my face because it was so fluffy but I knew that bartender knew who I was the moment he got closer. I should have left when he realised but I couldn't, you were so interesting and charming, I was so happy you didn't know who I was and because of that you got to know the real me Em." Alison made the move to sit on the bed, suddenly missing Emily's touch. She snuggled up beside the brunette and laid her head against Emily's chest, who welcomed her warmly by wrapping an arm around her shoulders to hold her closer.

Taking the brunette's hand she kissed it softly, feeling so comfortable with the brunette, so happy that she felt so loved.

"You showed me Em that I could be loved for who I am, instead of what I am."

"And I do love you Ali, with all my heart. I will always love you, no matter what happens, okay?" It was a silent promise Emily was making and Alison could hear it hidden in her tone, smiling she tilted her head and raised her hand to Emily's cheek, brining her in for a chaste kiss, moments later passion seeped in and actions took control of both Emily's and Alison's body.

"I love you too, Emily." Alison moaned as the brunette shifted their position so she could hover above the blonde protectively. "Don't ever let me go."

"I won't, I can't." She promised again and they kissed.

 **Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long but I've made an extra long chapter because I've been working on it for almost a month! I hope you like it, please tell me what you think. I'm sorry if there is a few mistakes but I hope you'll all enjoy anyways!  
Leave a review if you have time and enjoy the read, I hope it's worth the very long wait.**

 **-Aemstar**


	20. Chapter 20

_**Hey guys – quick note**_

 _ **Sorry it's been so long but please don't get too upset if it's not a great chapter, I worked really hard on it so please try not to criticise it toooooo much :P**_

 _ **I don't mind notes and obviously help but enjoy okay?**_

 _ **Chapter Twenty**_

 _Session two_

The week after Christmas was relatively busy, Emily had decided to move in with Alison in her old house at the outer rim of Rosewood, at least until she was better. Though a good percentage of her things were actually at Alison's she was still paying the rent for her old place so she had offered it to Hanna and Caleb while their kitchen was getting renovated. Apparently Caleb had actually set fire to the stove and caused some damage, though it was minimal Hanna, being Hanna, insisted on a brand new kitchen.

Emily had been working on her laptop, she had been doing her work from home ever since she returned to Rosewood, being in the office was going to be too much of a drama and Bill seemed happy to accommodate for the situation, lately however he seemed distant when she had spoken to him on the phone but that could have been for many reasons. She tried not to think about it.

She heard Alison in the other room flicking through the television stations indicating that she had awoken from her slumber. Finalising an email she had been working on she sent it to Bill hoping it was what he wanted and then shut the laptop.  
Walking into the lounge room with a small smile she looked over at the TV, it was now on the Netflix menu and selected on the movie "A Night To Remember", she paused momentarily before looking over at Alison who quickly switched to the next movie when she realised Emily was in the room.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" She questioned as she sat at Alison's side, inspecting the clear tubing that was feeding into the fold of the blonde's elbow Emily noticed a small amount of dry blood that was the aftermath of the overly large needle.

"I've missed this place." The blonde noted as she tried to avoid the topic of how sick she was already beginning to feel, she looked around the room and took in the still somewhat empty home that was waiting to be filled with the rest of Alison's things that were being shipped from California.

"It holds a decent amount of memories, doesn't it?" Emily went to take Alison's hand but was again distracted by the television. "Why were you looking at your old movie?"

"It's weird."

"What is?" Emily said with a quirked eyebrow.

"Seeing myself on TV." She mused innocently.

"You're not used to it yet?"

"I don't think I'll ever be used to it." She shrugged and took Emily's hand, missing the contact and hating the awkwardness between them. "I'm sorry I was looking at that movie."

"You don't need to be sorry, Ali." Emily was trying to be supportive but she could see the confliction in Alison's eyes, she could see the hurt and the pain and there didn't seem to be anything she could do to help.

"You never told me if you liked it, you know? We kind of got distracted."

"I do recall saying it was sad." Emily said with a small laugh, she remembered that day well, even if she was almost knocked out with pain medication from her push in her final soccer game.

"That's not your review towards it, that's just an observation." Alison replied cheekily.

"I... liked it..." She blushed.

"I'm sensing a 'but'." Alison murmured as she hovered her lips close to Emily's, teasing her.

"I... was jealous."

"I know, _that_ was obvious." Alison said confidently.

"Why so convinced Miss DiLaurentis?" They were playing with each other's fingers playfully, enjoying the banter and finally taking pleasure in the fact that the awkwardness had diminished between them.

"Because I remember the pout on your lips when I spoke about being semi naked with James." She managed to keep her tone a mixture of soft and seductive, Emily didn't understand how the blonde could make such a neutral statement sound so... not neutral. Though her thoughts couldn't forge together into a rational sentence she tried desperately hard to at least focus on Alison's wondering hands.

"Well... _yeah_." She finally said after almost a minute of silence and Alison smirked her trademark smile.

"You know... I'm glad I have this affect on you." The blonde chimed, closing some more distance between them again. She liked having Emily close, it was comforting and clarifying to her mind, she didn't feel so lost and confused when the brunette was holding or at least touching her.

Emily sighed softly, clearly unhappy with her comment, thought she didn't understand why.

"I'm sorry... I was just trying to lighten the mood." She said before Emily spoke, releasing her hold on the brunette, embarrassed and disappointed that the conversation hadn't turned the way she wanted.

"No it's not that, it's just... It wouldn't bother me so much if I had an effect on you. You're so controlled and strong, you seriously touch me and I come undone." Emily shrugged, feeling self-conscious but quickly Alison turned as much as the clear tubing of the chemotherapy machine would allow so she could face the brunette properly.

"Emily... you have no idea the effect you have over me." She whispered while cupping Emily's cheek with her free hand.

"I don't see it." Emily replied, shying away.

"I'm better at hiding it but that doesn't mean it's not there." She pulled gently on Emily's cheek to force her to face her again, pressing their heads together Alison sighed in contentment as the feeling of Emily's touch spread through her. The brunette had moved her hands to her sides, holding her protectively before trying to close the distance between their lips.

"Wait..." Alison interrupted as she pressed her index finger against Emily's lips. "I don't want you kissing me when you feel like you have no effect on me. You have no idea how you make me feel."

"I only see glimpses Ali, I want to see more, I want you to stop hiding from me." Emily had obviously had this on her mind for a while but hadn't had the courage to speak her thoughts until the opportunity presented itself without her influence.

"I will try, but don't be offended if it doesn't happen right away." She promised the girl that held onto her tightly.

"I just want to know everything about you. Not just this cancer thing, I want to know about _you_ , your life before the career, what about your parents? How did you meet Cece? I know there's more to you then your movies, no matter how good they are."

Alison smiled and blushed shyly, causing a quick glimmer of hope to flash across Emily's face, she knew Alison wanted to try; she just had to provide her with the courage.

"Well... I actually lived in California before I was 'famous', so my parents still live there."

"Really? How come I never saw them at your house? Shouldn't they be helping you through this?"

"They kind of abandoned me after Luke died, they didn't know I was pregnant until the accident which by that point the baby was gone, so I think it was just too much for them to handle. They never forgave me and I haven't heard from them since."

The blonde was so neutral that it surprised Emily, such an experience would have traumatised her for life but Alison seemed so unaffected by her own words.

"Do you miss them?"

"Not really." Emily could tell it was a lie instantly and it was then she realised Alison was trying to hide her emotions again.

"Ali..."She murmured a soft reminder, taking the blonde's hand in her own.

"All the time." Alison replied honestly after the second prompt and a tear formed in her eye.

"I get Mason to keep tabs on them every now and then, make sure they're safe and okay." She revealed honestly.

"You still love them." It wasn't a questioned but Alison answered anyway.

"Very much. They're my parents, they raised me. I still have memories of Dad teaching me to ride a bike and Mum teaching me how to make pancakes."

"Can you try to talk to them?" Emily suggested.

"I tried for a long time but they never responded so I gave up. I don't even know if they know about me having cancer, Mason told me they always turn the television and radio off whenever news about me came on." Alison huddled up back against the lounge and leant her head against Emily's warm shoulder, being careful not to put too much pressure on it.

"How would Mason _possibly_ know that?" Emily questioned curiously, also moving closer too Alison.

"Em... he was an ex CIA agent, keeping tabs on my parents and what they were doing is a basic skill for him."

"That's a bit creepy." Emily joked playfully, causing Alison to smile lightly in response.

"The things that man can do, Miss Fields." Alison whispered into her ear sending shivers down Emily's spine. Emily noticed she and Alison hadn't spoken like this to each in a long time, she realised she somewhat missed it, it was like their role play.

"Oh goodness, you had him follow me around didn't you?"

"For a while, I mostly just got him to get checks on you." She shrugged.

"Find anything interesting?" Emily raised an eyebrow while leaning closer to the blonde.

"No, you're very boring." Alison joked sarcastically and Emily sat back, almost disappointed. "I _like_ boring." Alison giggled when she saw Emily's pouting lip.

"Be careful Miss Fields," She began when Emily folded her arms childishly, playing along with the continuing mood. "I might have to bite that bottom lip if you don't stop pouting."

Emily subconsciously bit her lip with a giggle when she saw Alison's change of mood, a mood that she had missed so much.

Suddenly she felt Alison above her, straddling her skilfully without tangling the clear tubing of the chemo machine or hurting herself and it made Emily lose all concentration in their previous conversation.

"That's _my_ job." Alison continued as she leant so close to Emily that she could feel the blonde's sweet breath against her lips, it was intoxicating but she shook her head slightly and backed away to clear her thoughts.

"We're getting distracted." She pointed out boldly, though her hands couldn't help moving to Alison's thigh.

"We do that a lot." Alison murmured seductively while dangling her lips dangerously close to Emily's.

"Is talking about your parent's too hard? Did I over step when I brought it up?" She questioned, forgetting the tone of the situation above her. She knew Alison was used to getting her way but she also knew that talking about what was going on inside the blonde's head was also important.

Sighing softly, Alison removed herself from Emily's lap and sat back against the lounge.

"No... I just haven't spoken of them in a long time. Mason and Cece always knew it's a difficult subject, I guess I got comfortable with the silence." Alison began playing with Emily's hand again as she tried desperately hard to open up to her, she trusted Emily, she didn't know why talking to her was so hard.

"I'm sorry I pushed it," Emily began as she also played with Alison cold hands. "I just want to know everything about you."

Alison looked up at her carefully; Emily had nothing but good intentions and she knew that so why was it so hard to talk to her? Why was opening up such a difficulty? She knew it was partly because she had spent the last four years hiding herself from everyone but she was sure she had overcome that, at least when it came to Emily.

"I want to tell you everything about me." She said, she was looking down at Emily's warm hands, they were so comforting. Emily was silent for a long time, she merely watched Alison constantly occupy yourself with her hands, twiddling with her finger tips lightly was intoxicating for her, she didn't know why she liked it so much; perhaps it was just the contact in general.

"How did you meet Cece?" She changed the topic quickly, sensing that the thought of her parents was too much for her at that point.

A small smile slipped across the blonde's lips as she recalled the memory of meeting Cece in her mind, which only made Emily more curious.

"We actually met when I was probably five, my family went away for a holiday to a summer house they used to own, they sold it after everything had happened," She clarified, disappointment clear in her tone. "My parent's loved that I got along so well with Cece, her family was pretty dysfunctional so they encouraged it. We didn't see each other unless it was summer vacations, not until I was fifteen and was allowed to travel on my own. But she was already eighteen by that point so she would come to California to see me."

"You guys always did seem close." Emily noted with a smile.

"Like I said, her family life wasn't all that good. We were each other's safe place, especially after I got pregnant; she helped me decide what I was going to do."

"Were you scared?" Emily encouraged, though she already knew the answer.

"Terrified. For a while at least anyway, and then...I was kind of excited."

"Excited?"

"Well, no one else knew that, not even Luke but I was excited to be a mother. Now of course I know I was much too young."

Emily didn't except this and she remained quiet for a long time again, she didn't really see this side of Alison, which is what she wanted of course but it surprised her none the less.

"So... you wanted to be a mother?" She questioned, though Alison had clearly already stated so.

"I still do." She replied so softly that Emily almost didn't hear her.

"Really?" The brunette asked with a giddy smile, a response Alison wasn't expecting.

"Can I tell you a secret?"

"Of course."

Alison paused for a long time, trying to figure out if she should actually reveal to the brunette or not, but she realised she could never trust her anymore than she already did; Emily had given her so many reasons to trust her.

"It was always what I wanted..." Her words echoed away, she seemed ashamed to admit this but Emily only felt admiration towards her, she didn't have to tell Emily anything really, she could've remained shut out like she had been accustom to for so long but she chose not to.

"Wanting to be a Mum?" Emily's smile grew; she liked this side of Alison.

" _Wanted_ ," The blonde said sadly. "It's not possible now."

"Because of the cancer?"

Alison nodded. "It's very unlikely that I will be able to and if I do it could bring the cancer back, that's if... well in any case, it can't happen."

"Ali..." Emily began, understanding where Alison's train of thought was going even when she didn't finish her sentence.

"Em, I'm just speaking realistically." She shrugged as if speaking so negatively about the subject was nothing.

"That is not realistic." Emily moved away, angry that Alison would allow such pessimism to consume her.

"Hey..." The blonde reached for her, noticing her change in mood. "You can't tell me you haven't thought of this being-"

"No Alison, I haven't. You're going to be okay." Emily said bitterly as she folded her arms, Alison would've laughed at her behaviour if the context of their argument wasn't the topic in question.

"Don't get mad." She tried to reach for Emily's arm but the brunette shifted away. "Please, Emily."

"How can you expect me to be okay with you thinking like that Alison?"

"What do you expect?" Alison was growing angry too and though she didn't want to argue with Emily she certainly couldn't help her feelings.

"You won't ever talk to me about how you're feeling and then you spring _that_ on me?" Emily stood from the lounge in an attempt to create some distance between her and Alison. "Alison I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through but you could help me, honestly I don't mind you thinking like that... but don't just out of nowhere say something like that. For the last two weeks you've been so shut out and now you're telling me you think you might..." She couldn't even finish the sentence out of frustration and the fact that saying something so bitter was so unknown to her lips.

"Die..?" Alison finished it for her and it pushed her to breaking point.

"You're not going to die!" She exclaimed, her fists were clenched and she was almost ready to cry, the combination of angry and sadness was too much to accept.

"It's a possibility Emily."

"Stop it." Emily grunted as she began to pace, her thoughts a clustered mess when she realised how serious the situation was.

"Em... you can't ignore this."

"I'm not ignoring it; I'm trying to show you that everything will be okay."

"And what if it isn't?" Both were silent for a long time, it wasn't as though it hadn't crossed her mind but it wasn't a serious thought.  
Emily continued to pace until she looked over at Alison whose soft eyes were teary and she suddenly understood that no matter how hard this was for her it was always going to be hard for the blonde.

"I can't live without you." She noted before sitting back down on the lounge, feeling helpless about the whole situation but understanding why Alison felt the way she did was just as heart breaking for her.

"You would be okay."

Emily sighed and stood from the lounge once more; walking towards the hallway she turned around and looked at Alison.

"I have four very empty months under my belt that are ready to prove you wrong." She murmured before disappearing back into the kitchen, not giving Alison's a chance to respond. She knew her behaviour wasn't acceptable and she knew what she had said was unbelievably uncalled for but she couldn't help herself, it hurt to even _think_ about Alison not being around anymore, but to actually _hear_ the blonde say it was possible hurt even more.

She sat down at the kitchen bench and wiped away the tears that had fallen down her cheek during her escape, every inch of her body was aching for her to run back to Alison's side and apologise but there was something stopping her, she didn't know what it was but to distract her thoughts she opened her laptop and tried to continue some work.

Less than half an hour had passed and it felt like an eternity, she had spent the entire time forcing herself to stay where she was and not to go to Alison.

"Hey Emily." Cece's voice suddenly came from nowhere making her jump slightly, as she turned to face the blonde that was standing quietly in the doorframe she shut her laptop and gave her undivided attention.

"Hey Cece." She murmured wondering briefly if Cece had heard their argument, she did know the blonde had been hovering around to wait for the chemotherapy to finish but that was at least not for another hour or two.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" The blonde offered and Emily looked towards the living room momentarily, though it was around the corner and out of sight she knew Alison had exceptional hearing. "She's asleep."

Cece followed Emily's gaze before sitting by the brunette's side.

"What's up?"

"I want you to be clear about what Alison is going through," Cece began, her tone soft and understanding but it wasn't enough to stop Emily from swallowing in fear. "She is sick; I know you know that and trust me, I know this is hard for you."

"It's harder for her." Emily pointed out, the guilt of leaving Alison alone still haunting her.

"It's hard for her, but just because you're not suffering from the disease Emily, doesn't mean you're not suffering."

Emily nodded, she knew Cece was right but she didn't really feel like vocally agreeing with her when she still felt awful for leaving Alison alone.

"She is responding well to the chemotherapy so far... but I think she will need surgery."

"But I thought surgery was... a last resort?"

"At first it was, but now I think it can only be beneficial to her. Look, I can't tell you much, that's Alison's job but I can tell she's fond of you. _No one_ gets away with talking to her the way you do, not even I do."

"You heard us then?" Emily looked down at her fidgeting fingers feeling slightly ashamed that Cece was seeing her in a very weak position. Just after her first _real_ fight with Alison, wet eyes and red cheeks, she must have been a sight.

"I'm staying close by so I can monitor how she responds; losing hair because of the treatment is the least of a chemotherapy patient's problem."

"And how is she going in terms of response?" Emily asked seriously.

"Her behaviour is pretty standard, though her neutralism towards dying is not a side effect of the chemo. It's a side effect of years of suppression from her accident, I can't get her to talk about it and I have been trying for a long time but you, she truly trusts you."

"She trusts you too, Cece."

"Not like she trusts you and that's okay, I can understand and she knows that, she really does value what you have to say and I want you to be aware of how serious this may be."

"Is she going to die?" Emily couldn't help her words, though it wasn't as though Cece wasn't expecting it, she just sighed and smiled softly.

"Right now, she has a good chance of surviving and I have faith in her, she's strong and healthy besides the cancer but if she keeps going down this negative path..." Her words faded away and Emily understood her train of thought but she still couldn't manage to speak. "It's hard to fight a battle you don't think you're going to win."

Emily nodded and exhaled deeply in unison, she played with a stray piece of her hair as she tried to think of an appropriate response but she seemed stuck, this wasn't a usual conversation people would have.

"I don't want to lose her again; I don't think I could... I just... I love her." She murmured as she released the hold of her hair and Cece took her hand sincerely.

"She'll be okay, just stay patient. This will be hard on us, watching her go through it is part of a challenge in its own; it's just hard for her to see that right now because she only see's what's happening to her. So if you need someone to talk to, I'm here." Her tone was a mixture of comfort and sympathy; it was exactly what Emily needed to soothe her dysfunctional thoughts.

"You've had this talk with people before, haven't you?"

"Sometimes I think too many times but I knew what I was getting into when I chose to be a doctor, I wanted to help people, I just never thought I'd be helping Ali."  
"I'm glad she has you to help her though." Emily noted as Cece squeezed her hand in one last attempt to comfort her.

"Just don't get too upset if she lashes out, chemotherapy is a nasty drug, _especially_ the amount Ali has to endure but unfortunately it's the only thing we've got until the surgery."

"When will she have the surgery?"

"After a maybe two more sessions of chemo, I want to see if it will reduce the size of the cancer, that way it'll make the surgery less risky."

Emily took a deep breath before running her fingers through her hair and looking up at Cece for the first time their entire conversation, the blonde's eyes were tired and slightly red and it occurred to Emily that Cece had just been crying not too long ago.

"I'm here if you need someone to talk to as well." She offered and Cece smiled.

"Thank you."

They shared a small hug before Cece went back upstairs to do some work, Emily didn't question what work because she didn't really want to know as the blonde's work seemed too hard emotionally.

Putting her hands against her head and her elbows against the cold hard bench top Emily suppressed the urge to cry, though she didn't manage for long. Soon tears were falling down her cheeks and down her arms, as she went to wipe them away she felt cool arms wrap around her waist.

"I'm sorry." Alison whispered as she laid her head against her back.

Emily turned on her stool and looked the blonde up and down, she was still attached to the chemotherapy machine but she had wheeled the tall metal stand to the kitchen so quietly that Emily hadn't heard.  
Alison's eyes were sorrowful, hurt and apologetic all in one, they were red with offending tears and her cheeks were wet. She reached for Emily bravely, praying that the brunette wouldn't move away from her and she didn't. Instead Emily moved into her touch and wrapped her arms securely around her waist, being careful not to hit the clear tubing that dangled delicately in the air or the arm that was connected to it.

"I'm sorry too, I didn't mean what I said." Emily whispered in return before another tear fell against her skin, she pulled Alison close and held her tightly as she rested her head against the blonde's chest. Alison's positively responded by wrapping her own arms around Emily's neck, though she quickly felt her own tears begin to fall and all positivity seemed to fall away with them.

"I'm sorry Em." Alison began crying, her chest almost heaving she was so upset. Emily stood seconds later so she was the one holding Alison, who fell into her chest and warm grasp when the pressure of the conversation she had overheard between Emily and Cece flew through her.

"I'm not trying to make this hard on you." She continued to cry and Emily felt her heart skin at the sound of her pain.

"I know."

Alison cried for a long time and Emily shed a few tears but she had spent a good percentage of the time holding them back in an attempt to stay strong for Alison.

"Come, you shouldn't be standing while you're having treatment." She guided the sobbing blonde back to the lounge room, with every second step she limped and every other step she cried, it was heart breaking.

As Emily took most of Alison's weight she sat her down and pulled her close to her chest while the blonde laid her bound arm aside she it wasn't going to be knocked. They sat in silences, every so often Emily would dry a few tears but it wasn't until Alison had calmed down that she had mustered up the strength to wipe away one of Emily's, she left her hand on the brunette's wet but warm cheek and stroked it softly.

"Thank you." She whispered as she snuggled deeply into Emily's chest.

"You don't need to thank me." Emily replied lightly and Alison nodded weakly against her, she was too tired to argue and she was too sore to really move anymore.  
They sat silently for a few moments before Alison sniffed the last of her tears away and looked up the chemotherapy machine.

"How long do I have left?" Alison questioned when she decided that she couldn't lean any further to catch a glimpse of the timer on the beeping machine.

"Just under two hours." Emily said after leaning forward to look herself, being careful not to hurt Alison in the process.

"I know what we can do to pass the time." Alison whispered seductively and Emily had to look down and evaluate the blonde's expression out of pure surprise. Alison was smiling playfully and though her eyes were blood shot she was still unbelievably irresistible. Emily weighed up her options; Alison was very vulnerable, her emotions were on a rollercoaster of major highs and lows and it was hard to keep up with but at the same time she didn't want to deny the blonde a happy moment, in fear that it might bring on a low moment but also because she enjoyed watching Alison experience a high during such a depressing time.

She had been thinking for too long, in which time Alison had begun small trails of sweet kisses up and down her neck and it was intoxicatingly distracting.

"You're pretty restricted in your movements there, Miss DiLaurentis." Emily chuckled as she nodded towards chemotherapy machine.

"I don't need to do much moving." She cooed; her words were almost a sweet song in Emily's ear as the blonde made her way up her neck and to the lobe of her ear, biting gently she giggled at the shutter to run from Emily's stomach all the way up through her throat as it growled hungrily for her.

"Okay... you need to slow down." Emily pulled away breathlessly and held Alison back slightly so she could regain her concentration.

"Come on Em... I haven't had a sex drive in a long time." She groaned childishly.

"Ali, we had sex last week and given everything that's happened between then and now, it's not exactly a long time."

"But... I want to be naked with you." Alison continued to complain, she was also somewhat unhappy with the fact that Emily had a valid point.

"Okay Miss Demanding and you will be but perhaps not at a time when you have a needle jabbed into your arm?"

" _Fine_." Alison rolled her eyes before reaching for television remote and playing the movie that was still waiting patiently at the Netflix menu. "The next best thing then."

Emily raised her eyebrows quizzically as Alison made herself comfortable in the lounge and snuggled her body beside her.

"Make out session during a movie." She answered the unspoken question Emily's still raised eyebrows were asking. Raising her hand to Emily's cheek she slowly stroked the soft skin and closed some distance between them, "What do you say?"

"Definitely no objections here." Emily giggled as she closed the distance between her and Alison's lips.

Time seemed to fly after that, it wasn't until the beeping of the chemotherapy machines timer indicating the session was done had grabbed their attention did they actually realise how much time had passed.

"Where did the time go?" Emily murmured between kisses.

"Somewhere... between our lips." Alison said breathlessly, she still had no intentions of breaking the contact between her and Emily and as the brunette's sweet lips continued to tease her she couldn't even hear the annoying beeping.

"You're... so... lame." Emily giggled as her hands moved from Alison's neck to her waist. "It's adorable." She continued and Alison smiled, giving Emily the chance to slip her tongue teasingly against her teeth.

" _Okay_! Break it up you two." Cece's voice came from behind them, interrupting and almost scaring them. "I need to detach Ali from this machine and then you can continue this teenage flash back."

Both girls giggled before breaking apart and Cece didn't take long in freeing Alison of the machine and its annoying tubing, she wheeled the machine away and placed a bandage around Alison's elbow, making sure it was secure and free of any chance of leaking an infection.

"Okay, you may commence your activities." Cece clapped her hands as though the action would magically make the two reconnect in their passionate hold. She sat down and began flicking through the random movies on the television and Alison cleared her throat sarcastically.

"Well not with you here we won't."The blonde murmured as she folded her arms childishly.

"I'm monitoring how you react after this session. First is the worst but second is definitely not the best."

"What do you mean?" Emily couldn't help asking, though she knew Alison was either thinking the same or already knew the answer.

"Chemotherapy drastically weakens the immune system; do you remember how sick Ali was after the first session?" Emily nodded slowly as she followed Cece's words with a scattered train of thoughts. "Well imagine that, _plus_ a weak body."

Alison cuddled subtly into Emily's side, aware that the next couple of hours were going to be awful, even the next few days were going to even worse considering she had already begun to feel sick and tired.

"Are you okay?" Emily looked down at her with a concerned expression.

"I'm okay." She replied, though her stomach was aching and her elbow was sore from the needle it wasn't even the beginning of how she was going to be feeling.

"You need to let me know as soon as that changes." Cece interjected and after Alison nodded softly they fell into a comfortable silence and watched the movie the blonde had chosen.

Not even twenty minutes had passed and already Alison had a splitting head ache but that was the least of her problems, her muscles began to ache and her stomach felt like it was having a fight with her throat. She coughed suddenly causing both Emily and Cece's head to flick from the television to her but before either could ask if she was okay, she stood and ran to the hallway bathroom.

She didn't know where she had gotten the energy to stand let alone run but her mind wasn't focused on her sudden energy hit but instead focused on the urge to throw up, her arms were at either side of the sink clutching desperately to the edge as she gagged. But nothing came up; she just continued to gasp for air as the overwhelming sensation to be sick engulfed her.

"Ali?" Emily was first at her side but she could feel Cece behind them, watching carefully. "Are you okay?"

"I feel... like I'm..." She couldn't finish, her chest was heavy and her head was spinning.

"Ali, sit." Cece commanded as she guided Alison to the closest surface. It was then Alison was grateful this house had more than one bathroom.

"Breathe in slowly." Cece cooed constructively as Emily held Alison's hand, she was disappointed, the blonde hadn't lasted much longer this session than the first in terms of being sick. Though she did know Alison hadn't been feeling well from even the beginning she thought maybe this session wouldn't have been so bad, that was until she looked at the pale blonde that gasped desperately for air as she tried not to be physically sick.

"Breathe." Emily whispered a soft encouragement and with time Alison's breathing steadied.

"I don't feel good." Alison groaned as she rubbed the sweat that had gathered across her forehead.

"Alright, upstairs and into bed." Cece commanded after feeling Alison's temperature. She nodded with no debate and felt Emily's arm wrap securely around her waist while lifting her un-bandaged arm up and around her neck.

"Em..." The blonde whispered as Emily basically carried her upstairs.

"Yeah, sweetie?" Emily replied cautiously, aware how sick Alison was when the blonde's croaky voice was combined with the awful confliction of exhaustion.

"I'm so gross." She whined as the brunette placed her into bed being sure to gently tuck her securely into the warm sheets.

"You're not gross." Emily said sincerely but Alison merely groaned in discomfort before hunching her head over the side of the bed, she moved the bucket that had gained a permanent place beside the bed to Alison's reach in case she were to be sick. After almost two minutes of Alison's head hunched over the bed and still no result she wiped more sweat away and lay back into the bed. Emily looked up and over at Cece as she stroked Alison's hair softly.

"Is this normal?" She was worried about Alison, she didn't know how to cope and even after a certain nod from Cece she still felt scared.

"You're going to be okay, baby." Emily said as she leant her head against Alison's in hopes that it would comfort not only the blonde but herself as well.

"Don't touch me, I'm so gross." She tried to move away but exhaustion had hit her so hard that keeping her eyes open was a strenuous task. The only reason her eyes darted open was because Emily dramatically held her hands in front of her, as if she was following the command Alison had given her, which was then followed by a devilish smile and the connection of the brunette's hands on Alison's cheeks and a swift passionate kiss on the lips.

"You're not gross." She repeated when they broke way and Alison smiled chastely, the sound of Cece clearing her throat broke their concentration.  
"Sorry." Emily smiled before backing away from the blonde.

"I'm going to be lingering around, so don't get all _smoochy_." Cece chuckled.

"Cece I feel like shit, _smoochy_ doesn't seem all that appealing right now..." Alison groaned as she rolled on her side. "No offense, babe." She directed at Emily before grabbing her hand and pulling it towards her chest, forcing the brunette to lie down beside her. As Emily adjusted so she was spooning Alison she noticed Cece had taken a seat on the recliner at the other end of the room, it was facing the television but she was looking over at the pair with an expression Emily couldn't entirely read, sadness? Confusion? Concern? Or perhaps all three? When the blonde realised Emily was watching however her expression turned into a soft smile before she looked towards the television to turn it on.

"How did I get so lucky?" Alison whispered as she pulled Emily's hand closer to her chest while sighing contently, even if her stomach was turning inside out and her whole body was aching she was happy, happy that Emily was with her.

"You deserve it." She whispered in return and slowly Alison turned around being careful not to shake up her insides of cause her head to spin.

Placing a hand on the brunette's warm cheek she smiled gratefully and closed some distance between them.

"Emily..." Alison's voice was a barely audible song that rang in Emily's ears and she could hear the mystery hidden deep within, she knew Cece was there, she didn't know whether or not the blonde was listening but she knew in that moment that she and Alison were sharing something that was secret so she moved closer and held Alison tighter. "I'm so lucky."

" _Stop_." Emily blushed and pressed her fingers lightly against Alison's lips as though the motion would actually silence the tired blonde.  
"No, listen. I'm so lucky to have you." Alison held tightly onto Emily's soft cheeks and smiled; though she was probably in one of the worst situations a person could be in she was glad Emily was there to support her. "I can't believe you're here after what I put you though, I don't deserve you Emily."

"I forgave you for that." Emily began quickly and she quickly caught a tear that had slipped from Alison's watery eyes.

"But it was unforgivable." Alison looked down in shame, still not forgiving herself for what she had done.

"No Ali, it wasn't unforgivable, I have let go. I was just mad when I said what I said before, I have forgiven you. I can see that you're struggling though, you've got to let go Ali. You can't let what happened in the past consume you, you'll never be happy."

Emily's hands were at Alison's waist within seconds, hoping it would comfort the blonde.

"It's hard letting go." Alison whispered and Emily didn't know if they were talking about their relationship or with everything that had happened with Luke, she decided that it was a combination of the two and she could deal with that, in fact she was happy Alison was finally opening up about it.

"I'll help you." She encouraged with a smile and the soft action of slipping her hands underneath the blonde's shirt and stroking the soft skin of her bony waist. It was then Emily realised how much weight Alison had lost already, chemotherapy was a scary drug.

"You will?"

"I'll help you with anything." She leaned in and they kissed.

-x-

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Emily asked for the probably the tenth time that hour. "You can change your mind."

"Sweetie, relax. I've done this a million times before." Alison murmured as the make-up artist finished up on some final touches before smiling at her and walking away. Derek had set up a live interview with The Philadelphia News Feed saying that Alison had gotten good ratings from a local fan base when she had first appeared on it almost six months ago and though he also said it was important not to avoid the media forever she really knew the reason he chose this particular news program was because he could talk to Christina once again, she rolled her eyes at the thought.

"This is different and you know it." Emily said as she directed her gaze up at the soft beanie placed delicately on Alison's head hiding the fact that her hair was starting to thin out already.

"I know it's different but I can handle it, besides, it's too late to back out now." She nodded to an older man strutting towards them; he had a large head set on his shaven head and a clip board at his side.

"You're on soon Miss DiLaurentis." He said as he adjusted the wireless microphone that he had given her earlier. "I'm sorry to be so unprofessional but I love your work."

His voice was laced with excited but he was trying hard to hide it, Emily smiled at the older man's childlike behaviour towards Alison, he was at least fifty years old but obviously and openly gay, she admired it about him.

"Thank you, I'm very fond of your efforts here, you're very efficient at what you do." Alison replied sweetly, receiving a large smile in return from the stage manager who quickly walked away with a high pitched giggle before talking into his headset.

Emily looked down at Alison lovingly, the blonde was rugged up in a cozy jacket and skinny jeans, it wasn't what she usually wore to live interviews but she still looked stunning, Emily couldn't help but stare.

"What?" Alison blushed when she noticed the brunette's gaze.

"You're so beautiful, in every way." She was referring to how Alison had treated the stage manager and she continued to blush uncontrollably.

"Everyone's special in their own way, I'm no different."

Emily took her hand softly, she couldn't help closing the distance between them but before she could connect their lips in a sweet and desperately needed kiss a loud applause erupted from outside the black curtain that separated them from the stage, cameras and live audience that so enthusiastically displayed their excitement.

"That's my queue." The blonde whispered, covering the microphone that sat above her jacket pocket in case it was already turned on.

"Good luck, I love you." Emily said as she squeezed the blonde's soft hand before kissing her forehead.

"Thanks, I love you too." She replied while titling her head into Emily's kiss, seconds later she reluctantly disconnected their touch and headed through the curtain and out into the bright lights of the stage. They were blinding but as she looked into the audience she could see several "We love you Alison" signs that people had somehow snuck passed security, not that she really understood why signage was banned in the first place but as she slowly closed the distant between her and Christina she didn't focus on her thoughts for long.

It felt like six months ago when she had been walking out on the same stage, the crowd was going wild, Christina was excited to be able to speak to someone famous, even the chairs were the same cream colour but they were larger in size, one chair was now replaced with a lounge but Christina had chosen to remain on the single chair. The large projection stood behind them so the audience could see photos and videos, there was also the same small television that sat in front of Christina and Alison, it was passed the cameras but still in their vision so it was possible for them to view the same thing the audience was viewing. The only thing that seemed to be different was the lounge and now Alison; she wasn't wearing her usual sexy attire, she couldn't afford to expose her body to any cold, she was snuggled up in a beanie, covering up the fact that her hair was slowly falling out, it seemed she had changed significantly over six months and yet her fans still loved her.

"Well hello Alison! It's so lovely to have you here again." Christina greeted happily as she took Alison's hands, however this time she didn't go to give the blonde any kisses on the cheeks like she had last time as she was aware of the minimal contact on Derek's behalf.

"Thank you, it's lovely to be back with my lovely fans." She said as they sat down adjacent from each other.

Emily watched carefully over the blonde, worried for every movement she did but she had to admit, Alison had a way with people, she had a way of making them feel good, she had a way to drive them crazy and she realised that Alison had her own ways of doing those things to just Emily alone.

"You look very cozy." Christina pointed out Alison wardrobe immediately, which surprised both Alison and Emily.

"Yes, unfortunately I'm still not used to this cold weather." Alison chuckled, trying to avoid her lack of style being noted so openly in front of everyone.

"Ah yes that's right, you've been officially been living in Rosewood for how long now?"

"Less than a month, so I've still got some time before I'll be used to it." Alison smiled playfully, her humour causing the audience to laugh.

"Do you like living in Rosewood?" Christina asked with a genuine smile.

"I do, it's a beautiful town." Alison nodded and a young girl shouted out a cheer for Rosewood before the audience laughed and the attention was drawn back to the interview.

"So the movie that you had filmed there was actually very popular in the end, wasn't it?"

"Yes actually, I think Rosewood even got a bit of tourism for it. I enjoyed filming there."

"I'm sure you did," Christina began and Alison knew what question was coming next. "Was that influenced by any particular residence?"

"Perhaps." She smiled, happy to be talking about Emily rather than cancer.

"Do tell." Christina prompted curiously.

"Well I'm sure you have heard about my relationship with Emily Fields..." She looked to the side stage where she knew Emily was standing, though she couldn't physically see the brunette she knew she was there and that was comforting to know.

Emily stood back stage and smiled, she found Alison's so infectious that she couldn't help but blush slightly when the crowd cheered at her name, she was just very glad no one could see her.

"Well, yes I think everyone in Hollywood has, but we weren't sure if it was rumours or what! So we wanted to get the words from you." As Alison listened to Christina she realised the fashionable blonde had grown more mature over the last six months, it wasn't overly noticeable considering she was still older than Alison.

"Well, _officially_ , I'm the luckiest girl in the world."Alison looked down shyly and the audience wooed several "awwwws".

"It's good to hear you have such happiness in such a... if I may be so bold, a time of hardship." The atmosphere changed quickly and Alison expected as such, even the audience was completely silent for the first time.

"Yes, indeed, as I said I'm very lucky." Alison smiled as she prepared herself for Christina's next question.

"We've all heard the rumours Alison but we all know what the media is like, so we want to hear it from you, is it true, are you sick?"

More silence filled the room as Alison looked around at the audience and she felt her stomach drop slightly, why was this so hard? She had never expected this but she subtly took a deep breath and slowly flashed a sad smile.

"Yes, it is true." Murmurs filled the room as Christina thought of her next question and it was in that moment Alison really wanted Emily by her side. She had taken so much medication just so she could make it to this interview and even still her head was hurting, her muscles were aching and even her eyes were sore with heaviness.

After her second chemotherapy session it had taken almost a week to fully recover, she felt so sick and was bedridden for most of that time, poor Emily and Cece had been doing nothing but care for her.

"How long had you known before the media spill?"

"Not long at all, one day at production I had fallen ill and was sent home. To be honest though, the only reason I was going public about it so early is because someone had said something, they had taken that from me but now I want to take advantage of the fact that people know, there are millions of people out there battling much worse than I or are at least affected somehow by cancer. One in two people will have been affected by the disease in some way, whether it is they personally suffer or someone they know suffers, and that is just an unfair statics. I'm lucky enough to have support."

"I heard Charlotte Drake, your childhood friend, is your doctor and that she's been staying with you?"

"That's correct, she's put up with all my drama quite well considering." Alison chuckled and the audience copied in a mild harmony.

"Anyone else?" Christina encouraged, obviously trying to get back to the topic of Emily, which tempting Alison greatly.

"Well there's always my security team, who have also dealt with my drama exceptionally well." She side track, she thought if Cece at least got a shout out of recognition then Mason did, though she would never mention his name for security reasons but she knew he would appreciate the sentiment.

"And that's all who are living with you?"

"Well, Miss Fields has been kind enough to change her living arrangement so she could help me through the chemotherapy."

The audience "oooohed" softly and even Christina joined in, excited to get back to happier topic.

"I understand she's backstage?" The young interviewer encouraged, she quickly looked passed Alison and nodded at the stage manager that Alison had been speaking to earlier.

"She is indeed." Alison giggled, aware of Christina's intentions and train of thought, she was picturing Emily's face, bright red and slightly shocked.

"Bring her out! Let's officially meet the girl who finally stole Hollywood's finest heart!"

Emily suddenly felt a hand of her shirt, looking away from the stage in surprise she saw the backstage manager fidgeting frantically with her collar as he placed a mini microphone on the folded fabric.

"Put this in your pocket." He instructed as he handed her the small signal supplier pack for the wireless microphone. "Have fun." He laughed before almost pushing her on stage and continuing with his job.

As she walked on stage she was met with Christina at her side, she shook her hand before guiding her to the comfortable chairs, Alison was standing and clapping along with the audience, her lips were stretched into a large smile that Emily recognised as her trade mark smirk.

As she walked slowly, Emily was sure she'd die of embarrassment but with everyone clapping and cheering, the experience wasn't what she was expecting at all. Christina guided Emily with a smile into the bright lights of the stage and she could no longer see the audience which suited her just fine.

"Hello Emily!" Christina exclaimed to the audience and they all cheered happily, it was kind of exhilarating. She gestured her hands out politely as she sat and Alison and Emily copied, sitting by the blonde's side Emily was already beginning to feel a lot calmer than expected. "Sorry to spring this on you, but it does seem everyone wants to meet you."

"Well..." Emily began and she swallowed deeply before looking down at Alison, whose smile hadn't changed since she entered the stage. "I definitely wasn't expecting it, that's for sure."

Alison reached for Emily's hand shortly after, missing the contact between them and the audience "awwwwwed" but Emily was distracted by the blonde's cold hands and the fact that she was shaking slightly. Was Alison nervous? Or was she cold from her last treatment, she didn't know and it wasn't as though she could really ask.

" _So_ , how are you two going considering the circumstances?" Christina directed to the both of them.

"It's hard, I'm sure a lot of people would agree it definitely isn't easy and nothing can prepare you for it but Emily has been wonderful." She looked up at Emily briefly before smiling at Christina.

"YEAH! EMISON IS ENDGAME!" A young girl called from the audience and laughs echoed in the large room.

"What? Emison?" Emily giggled quizzically to Alison who looked into the audience to try and find the caller.

"Emison, half Emily half Alison, it's our relationship name." Alison explained quickly while stroking Emily's hand gently.

"That's kind of adorable." Emily noted before looking towards the audience, however the small television in front of them had caught her attention with several pictures of them together, some even when she didn't know camera's were around, it would've freaked her out if she didn't secretly like the images. She blushed quickly when she realised everyone was looking at those photos on the projection behind them.

"I have a question for Emily." Christina asked casually, though it was like she was secretly asking Alison for permission and when the blonde didn't object she continued. "Did you have anything to do with these photos?"

Emily looked back at the screen and saw the photos of the night she and Alison had met, the first image was of them at the bar and the second was them kissing in the alley way.

"Me? Goodness no, I um... Well I didn't know who she was until the next day."Gasp filled the audience and Alison giggled lightly, she recalled that evening well, it was branded in her mind forever.

"Yeah, she was surprising I didn't know who she was, I guess she's so used to everyone loving her." Emily giggled before subconsciously brushing her nose against the blonde's forehead affectionately.

"Well I'm sure she is used to that, but how did you not know her? I'm sure some people think, because you were at a bar, that maybe you had a little bit too much to drink and you just didn't recognise her."

Emily paused slightly, she didn't really feel like talking about alcohol public but she didn't know how to lie about it, squeezing Alison's hand for help the blonde came to the rescue.

"Well when I introduced myself she had only been sitting down for a few minutes," Alison began and Emily was surprised by how well the blonde already began her lie. "She was very clear minded and very charming."

"So you introduced yourself?" Christina asked, completely surprised by this reveal.

"I did. I couldn't resist the urge to talk to her." This wasn't a lie and Emily smiled happily, this was a new lot of information that made her jump up and down inside.

"Well there you go." Christina directed to the audience. "So Alison, was there a particular reason you went out that night?"

"Well I wanted to see the town and have some fun; I'm still young so I thought I deserved that. I'm very glad I did." She looked directly into Emily's eyes before raising the brunette's hand to her lips and kissing it softly. "Despite my body guard's displeasure, it was the best decision I ever made."

Emily looked deep into Alison's eyes and saw freedom, it was the youngest she had ever seen the blonde, despite her current situation with the chemotherapy and the cancer, she could see happiness and contentment and the world around them seemed to float away.

The interview passed like a blur in Emily's mind, she mostly nodded while Alison answered more questions that she didn't hear, she was too lost in Alison bright blue orbs to recall anything really and it wasn't until the blonde's soft hand rubbed her cheek in the back of the Range Rover that Emily realised where she was.

"You did so well." Alison cooed softly, her throat croaking slightly as she spoke.

"Me? You have such a way with people that I can't compare too." Emily replied with a chuckle as she soothed Alison's hand with her own.

"You do too, they loved you. I think almost as much as I do." The blonde looked down bashfully before looking up again with glistening eyes. " _Almost_." She continued before pulling Emily into a deep kiss.

-x-

 _Season Three_

"Mum? What are you doing here?" Emily questioned after opening the door to her mother standing by Mason's side.

"Well that's not a very nice way to greet your mother." Pam pretended she was offended before chuckling slightly with Mason who disappeared swiftly upstairs after informing them that if a lift was required to call him on his mobile.

Emily guided her mother into the kitchen of Alison's home, after Caleb and Hanna had spent almost three weeks on renovations and had moved back home she had decided to sell her old apartment and was glad to be rid of it. She knew she would be missing the memories but when she looked back at it, it was an old and dank accident waiting to happen.  
Emily was happy to be living with Alison, she felt safe and she knew she could protect and watch over the blonde efficiently if she was living with her.

"Sorry, how are you? It's lovely to see you." She said genuinely before giving Pam a tight hug.

"Much better," Pam joked back, "I'm good thanks, how are you doing sweetie?" She searched the house curiously, either taking in the details and interior or more probably looking for Alison.

"She's asleep." Emily directed at her mother whose attention was elsewhere.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear, really how are you?"

"I'm okay." She rubbed her head, she was exhausted and the only thing she could think of was her girlfriend that lay helplessly in her bed, currently having another bag of chemotherapy being pumped into her veins.

"You look tired." Pam noted kindly, it wasn't as though it wasn't obvious however, under her eyes were marked with sleep by dark bruises and the colour in her usual warm brown orbs were replaced with a dull coldness. It was the consequence of days without a decent sleep and it was starting to take its toll but she didn't let show the surface for Alison's sake. However her mother saw straight through it.

"I'm okay." She repeated, though her lie wasn't any more convincing the second time than it was the first.

"Emily, you don't have to lie to me. I'm here because I'm worried about you."

"Is that the only reason you're here?" She asked curiously with a quirked eyebrow.

"Well I did have some news, more of a proposal actually." Pam said with a cheeky smile, completely forgetting her original question which suited Emily nicely.

"And what would this proposal be?" Emily asked with a small smile but before her mother could respond there was a small creak coming down the stairs, distracting them. Emily stood curiously thinking it may have been Mason but remembered he had some work to attend to in his study and he probably wouldn't emerge without command, it was something to do with the case against Eric, not that she dared to question out of fear.

As she turned to face the corridor the small sound had emanated from she was surprised to see Alison leaning against the wall with her chemotherapy bag hanging from the movable metal stand she must have carried down the staircase. Almost rushing to the blonde's side Emily smiled before wrapping an arm around Alison's waist to hold a good percentage of her weight.

"Baby, you shouldn't be up while this is going."

"I couldn't help myself." Alison's said with an innocent smile. "I heard we had company and I couldn't resist coming to find out who it was, it's lovely to see you Pam." Alison greeted sweetly as Pam stood and walked over to give her a hug.

"It's lovely to see you too Alison." Pam held Alison softly, afraid to hurt her. "See Emily? She can greet people correctly."

"I said sorry." Emily rolled her eyes before guiding the weak Alison to the living room so she could sit comfortably. "Did you want some tea?" Emily directed at the both of them as she gently helped Alison sit down, tucking her in some warm blankets and propping her up comfortably into a pillow.

"Thank you." The blonde whispered in her ear before she moved away. "Tea would be lovely."

"Mum?" Emily looked over at her mother who had a childish smile spread wide across her cheeks as she witness the cuteness between the two young girls in front of her.

"I don't suppose coffee is too much of a demand?" Pam loosened her smile slightly when she realised she had been caught gawking.

"Geez Mum I don't know, that's a pretty big request." Emily giggled before heading into the kitchen to make the requested beverages.  
She returned minutes later to have Alison and Pam abruptly stop their conversation; she lifted an eyebrow before giving them their drinks.

"Secret girl talk?" She joked as she sat down beside Alison.

"Unfortunately I'm not that interesting; I was just telling your mother about the chemo. She had a few questions." Alison answered before cuddling up into the blankets Emily had given her moments before. "Speaking of the chemo, how long have I got left?"

"About five minutes." Emily answered when she looked at the timer on the machine and Alison sighed in frustration.

"This is taking forever." She pouted childishly,

"You slept through most of it; I think you can survive five more minutes." Emily noted.

"I was hoping I would wake up with it done." She continued to pout like a miserable child who was told 'no' after asking for some candy; Emily kind of found it adorable to see the blonde so relaxed, even if she was complaining and feeling sick.

"Stop the complaining or I'll slow down the flow making that five minutes turn into twenty." Emily threatened playfully and Alison's mouth gaped open sarcastically.

"You _wouldn't_." She sat up defensively towards the machine as though her weakened body actually had a chance against Emily.

"I would, Cece taught me how." Emily looked up at the machine with an evil smile, it wasn't as though it was hard to understand however, the machine had basic arrows indicating how fast or slow you could make the flow of clear liquid move into the body, it wasn't rocket science and Alison could easily fix it if Emily were to change it.

"That _bitch_." Alison whispered, her tone still laced with humour, however Pam cringed slightly, reminding the blonde that she and Emily were not alone.

"I apologise Pam, I am normally a lot more appropriate it other peoples presence. I'm afraid your daughter has corrupted me." She chuckled before winking at Emily who had a shocked expression plastered across her face.

" _Hey_ , you can't blame me, _I'm_ a saint." Emily smiled innocently over at her mother who returned her expression with nothing less than an unimpressed expression of her own.

"Yeah I _really_ believe that, Emily." They shared a small laugh before Alison sipped at her warm tea and looked over at Pam.

"So Pam, what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"Well, it was just some exciting news for Emily but since you're here too Alison you can hear it as well. Emily, your father has recently received some long service leave and he wants to take advantage of it, so we've decided to go to Europe!"

The sudden beeping of the chemotherapy machine indicating the session had finished had interrupted Pam's good news.

"Mum that's so exciting!" Emily said as she stood and proceeded to turning off the annoying beeping, she then slowly took the needle out of the fold of Alison's arm, and she flinched slightly in response but was quick with a small cotton ball and waited while Emily prepared a bandage. Cece had been so busy with work lately that teaching Emily how to understand the basics in terms of the chemotherapy machine had become a necessity.

"How are you feeling sweetie?" Emily asked softly as she moved the machine aside.

"I'm okay; I do need to go to the bathroom however." She said with a small laugh before slowly standing, Emily noticed her struggle and immediately assisted.

"Are you okay? Do you need help?"  
"No no I'll be fine, you two talk about this Europe trip." She disappeared before Emily could object, though the brunette was worried she did need to allow Alison some independence. She sighed quietly before turning to her mother.

"Sorry about that Mum, so tell me everything, where and when are you planning on going?" Emily watched her mother sip gratefully at her coffee before she answered.

"So far we've decided on Italy, Germany, Switzerland, England and France but we definitely want to see much more. We haven't decided a specific date yet but in about a month or two. It's quite spur of the moment so we're really focusing on the details before we book anything."

"What kind of details?" Emily asked curiously. "Like Dad's army stuff?" She pushed when her mother didn't answer right away.

"Well no actually. We wanted to know if you wanted to come." Pam's voice was carefully optimistic.

"Mum..." Emily began softly. "I can't right now, Ali needs me."

"I know sweetie, but what if you just came to Paris? You always wanted to go there, ever since you were little. You could just come for a week?" Pam was almost begging, making Emily feel awful for turning the offer down, and though it did sound tempting she couldn't leave Alison now or in a month.

"I really want too, please don't think I don't, it's just... Alison needs me. This is her third session, things are only going to get harder for her now, I can't leave her alone during that. I'm hoping it doesn't get worse but if it does I want to be by her side for it, Paris will just have to wait."

"I understand." Pam said sympathetically but disappointment was still very clear in her tone.

"I'm sorry, Mum." Emily mumbled regretfully, she felt guilty but what could she do? She couldn't leave Alison now.

"Sorry I took so long." Alison wobbled in shortly after, seemingly oblivious to the conversation Pam and Emily were just having.

"That's alright dear." Pam smiled and Emily stood to help Alison to remainder of the distance to the lounge.

"How are you feeling?" She asked again while tucking Alison tightly into the still warm blankets.

"Tired, headache, my stomach sucks already." The blonde yawned. "But okay so far."

"Do you need anything?"

"I'm okay Emmy, stop stressing." Alison giggled before pulling the blankets to her chin.

"Well I might head off, I'm supposed to be having dinner with the Hastings tonight, I'm staying at theirs until I leave so maybe we could do breakfast tomorrow?" Pam was standing and grabbing her jacket that she had taken off in her entrance.

"Sounds lovely." Alison perked up before Emily could reject the offer.

"Thank you for having me in your lovely home Alison." Pam smiled happily when she noticed Alison's sneaky quickness.

"It was my pleasure."

After saying their goodbyes Emily called Mason down stairs while she and her mother waited patiently by the door, leaving Alison on the lounge to rest.

"Please consider Paris Emily." Pam whispered after Mason had emerged from his study and made his way to getting the car, they headed out into the Rosewood cold and waited while the tall body did some security checks of the permitter to make sure no one was lingering by the front gate.

"Mum-" Emily began but she was quickly interrupted.

"Your father doesn't get this opportunity often, please just consider it."

"A guilt trip," Emily began with a laugh, "That's harsh, even for you Mum."

"I'm hoping it works." Pam chuckled and received an unimpressed expression from her daughter in return. "Please, just think about it."

" _Okay_ , I'll think about it." Emily rolled her eyes. "Just so you'll shut up about it."

"Thank you, I'll see you tomorrow." Pam said with a triumphant smile before she walked down the stairs and got into the passenger seat of the Range Rover, an action Mason wasn't used to at all.

Emily sighed as she waved goodbye to her mother and when the car was passed the tall gates and out of sight she headed back into the warm home while quickly locking the door behind her.

She walked into the living room to find Alison already asleep, so she decided to gather up the cups and do some work on her laptop. Alison hadn't had much of her tea but it was to be expected. Tipping the now cool liquid down the drain she collected her laptop from the kitchen bench and headed back to the living room so she could work and watch Alison simultaneously.

Opening the screen she didn't even get passed her password before Alison suddenly spoke – scaring the life out of her.

"I want you to go to Paris."

"Holy shit Alison, I think I just aged ten years." Emily puffed as she pushed her laptop aside; realising Alison's tone was not something she was going to be compromising easily with.

"I want you to go to Paris." The blonde repeating, proving Emily's thoughts correct, Alison defiantly wasn't in any mood to be disagreed with.

"Wait... you heard all that?" She stuttered nervously.

"Please don't miss out on Paris for me, Emily." Alison replied sternly as she sat up against the lounge, her arms folded and her expression serious.

"Paris isn't going anywhere." Emily said factually.

"Neither am I." The blonde replied with quirked eyebrow, challenging Emily to continue with the argument.

"I didn't... say that you were, Ali." She responded with a guilty tone.

"No, but you're obviously thinking it, you think if you leave something bad will happen."

"Of course I think that." Emily exclaimed as if the information was obvious. "I'm going to worry about you; I'm going to be paranoid."

"You don't need to be." Alison rolled her eyes as if Emily was being ridiculous, offending the brunette greatly with her insensitivity.

"I'm human, Alison!" She yelled before slamming her laptop shut and sitting back into the recliner with folded arms.

Alison looked over her carefully with soft eyes, the blonde could see the confusion and how scared she was, she knew it was going to be hard. All of it. But they had never really spoken so seriously about the cancer, it always seemed to be pushed aside or completely interrupted by something else.

Standing from the lounge she slowly made her way in front of Emily and knelt below her, showing her submission to her girlfriend and with a careful gesture she took Emily's cheek with her hand, forcing the brunette to look at her.

"You've given up so much for me." The blonde started softly. "And I'm so grateful. But Em please, don't give up _everything_. I promise I'm not going anywhere."

Emily looked closely at Alison, trying to read her expression and her eyes, it was hard but she could see the desperation in the cool blue orbs.

"Then why don't you tell me about the cancer? Why do I have to get the information from Cece?" Alison backed away slightly and searched Emily cautiously.

"Has she told you anything?"

"Just the basics, I know she's not allowed to tell me much because you're worried I can't handle it."

"Give your past record Emily, it's hard for me to deliver bad news, you think I'm fragile but so are you." Alison justified quickly.

"So... it is bad then?" Emily caught her breath and Alison paused, suddenly caught off guard by the question and she was struck with silence as her thoughts got lost in the mass of confusion.

"Ali! Just tell me the truth!" Emily demand and Alison stood quickly, faster than her body could handle, causing her legs to give way and Emily catch her. Placing the exhausted blonde on her lap Emily placed both her hands on her cheeks and held tightly.

" _Please_." A tear had fallen down her face and Alison caught it.

"I'm not going to die." Alison said confidently. "I _promise_. I'm going to beat this."

Emily stayed quiet for a long time, no more tears slipped passed her eyes though they threatened too.

"Okay." She nodded almost helplessly as Alison kissed her nose in an attempt to comfort her.

"Will you please... consider Paris?"

Silence filled the room again as Emily weighed up her options.

"I will consider it." She smiled chastely, trying to see that Alison really did have only good intentions. With a chaste smile Alison wrapped her arms around Emily's neck and leaned in for a quick kiss.

"It will be worth it." The blonde promised and Emily nodded gently into her hold, though in the back of her mind she couldn't help the little voice that was repeating over and over "I hope so."

 _ **Hey guys! I am soooo sorry it's been so long! I hope this chapter was okay (sorry for any grammar mistakes and what not, I was just keen to update) I know it's a bit of an intense chapter but I'm trying to give a bit of "variety" to this story, I like exploring all realms :) hope it's not too... upsetting I guess would be the appropriate word.**_

 _ **And once again sorry for any gramma mistakes, but enjoy and let me know what you think it the reviews section! Ideas and feedback always helps!**_

 _ **Have a good day/night everyone!**_

 _ **-Aemstar**_


	21. Chapter 21

_**Chapter Twenty One**_

"This is so exciting! I'm glad you decided to come with us Emmy." Wayne said as he put his suit case into taxi cab outside the airport. The air was fresh and slightly chilly, it blew against Emily's already cold cheeks presenting a bitter sensation against her dry skin; she was aching desperately for a nice warm shower after the eight hour flight. Eight hours was nothing in comparison to some trips but she hadn't been on a plane in years and she found it physically and mentally fatiguing.

"I'm glad I did too." She mused softly as she threw her bag into the boot of the cab with her mother and fathers suit cases. She had only packed enough for a week as she had decided that a week was already too long without Alison but just enough to see all that she wanted of Paris.

"She'll be okay." Pam whispered when she slid into the back of the taxi beside Emily while Wayne took the front passenger seat and instructed the driver their destination.

"I know." Emily whispered in return, having already heard this speech a hundred times from Alison, Cece and even Mason before he dropped them off at the Philadelphia airport.

She couldn't help thinking of Alison, the cancer had occupied just as much thought of her own as the blonde herself, she couldn't quite forgive herself for leaving her, even though she had insisted upon it, it was different but for her parents sake and her own she tried to focus on Paris.

She watched the scenery pass by at a moderate pace and when she looked in the distance she could see the tip of what she assumed to be the Eifel Tower, it made her heart jump, this is what she had been waiting for. If she could have only been in Paris for one day then she would have been happy to have experienced it by seeing the tall tower and its light show.

As they drove closer and closer she could feel her leg jumping up and down in excitement, she felt like a child again but it still wasn't enough to completely distract her mind of Alison. In fact it just made her wish Alison was there with her, seeing the city for its all even though Alison had already been many times before.

Pam watched Emily's head tilt in the direction of the Eifel Tower with a smile but it wasn't until the building was out of sight again that she decided to speak.

"When we've settled in maybe we can go see it?" She offered kindly.

"Sounds like a plan." Emily didn't hesitate in answering as she finally returned her gaze to the front.

Less than ten minutes later the taxi pulled to a gentle stop in front of an elegant hotel that Emily still couldn't pronounce even after countless lessons from her mother and Alison, apparently the blonde had actually stayed in the same hotel last time she was in Paris but in the Penthouse – a luxury the Fields obviously couldn't afford.

"Thank you, sir." Wayne said as he handed the cab driver the fair. "Keep the change."

"Thank you!" The driver said happily after pulling out the last of the luggage from the trunk and giving it to them. He lifted his hat respectfully before getting in the car and driving away and Emily smiled up at her father as they all turned to make their way inside the hotel.

"You just made that guys day." She chuckled.

"I didn't even give him that much." Wayne said with a mild expression of surprise slapped across his face before he watched the taxi drive around the corner and out of sight.

They walked through the rotating doors that almost glistened in the afternoon sun and the bright lights of the hotels' lobby. The inside was alluringly peaceful, though it wasn't quiet there was something about the atmosphere that calmed Emily, perhaps it was the thought that Alison had also walked through those doors and walked through these golden coloured hallways. She followed her parents to the front desk that was a clean white colour, the surface was a smooth marble that even looked tempting to touch but she resisted as she watched her parents get out their wallets.

"Bonjour." One of the young girls greeted when she became available and Wayne walked towards her, her accent was a strong dose of French and her words sounded significantly more elegant, Emily thought anyway.

"Uh bonjour... Jem'appelle... Wayne Fields." He stuttered and Emily had to resist the urge to laugh at her father.

"American?" The girl giggled sweetly.

"Uh yes, that obvious am I?" Wayne laughed in appreciation and the girl smiled again.

"No Sir, you speak French well, it was your accent that gave you away. So you're the Fields family?" She was a very kind woman, she couldn't have been older than twenty five but she had clearly had experience with different cultures, obviously she had considering she worked in a hotel.

"We are." He continued and she nodded before typing quickly into the computer that sat before her.

"Excellent, I just need some identification."

"Yes of course." Wayne pulled his license from his wallet and handed it to the petite blonde who smiled sweetly before inspecting it.

"Perfect, thank you Mr Fields; I'll just get one of the gentlemen to help you with your bags upstairs." She said as she handed Wayne back his license and picked up the phone. As she spoke in swift and fluent French to the person on the other end Wayne turned to his wife and daughter with an almost smug look on his face.

"What?" Pam questioned curiously.

"She called me 'sir'." He almost giggled in return.

"You get called sir everyday on base?" Emily rolled her eyes as she looked at her mother who also shared her thoughts.

"Yeah but that's different and you both know it, so stop giving me that concerned look."

"Alright sir," The girl began, oblivious to the ongoing conversation. "Someone will be with you shortly; here is the key to the room." She reached under the desk and pulled out a small rectangular plastic card, presenting it to Wayne with another sweet smile.  
Looking down at the card he quickly looked back up at her in confusion before looking over at Emily and Pam.

"I think there's been a mistake Miss." He said shyly and the girl looked up from the computer she had briefly been typing on.

"What seems to be the problem Sir?" She didn't seem concerned by his objection.

"This is the wrong room, we didn't book this one."

Emily took the key from her father's hand for a quick inspection and she was surprised to read in large italic writing "Penthouse" spread across the top and her mouth almost hit the ground in surprise.

"No way." She mumbled to herself before giving it back to her father, already aware of what had happened and it seemed the receptionist was aware too; she had a large smile that Emily would've found infectious if she wasn't blushing so much.

"I'm sorry Sir but this is the correct room, you were upgraded by special request." Wayne looked from the receptionist to Emily and he quickly connected the dots.

"By whom?" He questioned anyway, trying to figure out whether or not the woman was being serious.

"I believe Miss DiLaurentis had made the arrangements less than a few hours ago."

"We can't afford the penthouse." Wayne almost whispered to the young girl.

"I think you misunderstand Sir, Miss DiLaurentis has insisted upon paying for your entire stay here. She has even requested a special dinner for you this evening in our five star restaurant down the hall."

A long silence filled the air and suddenly Emily could feel all eyes on her, even the receptionists, if she didn't know what colour red was she did now.

"Did you know about this?" Wayne was the first to finally break the silence as he directed his question to his daughter.

"Dad I'm _clearly_ as stunned as you are." Emily's voice cracked twice before she finally managed to finish her sentence.

"Well, I guess we'll make our way upstairs then." He said to the receptionist who still had a large smile on her lips.

"Excellent Sir, someone will bring your bags up and show you the entry code."

"Entry code?" Pam asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"It's new technology in hotels that only allow people with the access code to travel to the penthouse floor." Wayne murmured informatively and both Emily and Pam looked at him in surprise.

"What?" He almost squeaked defensively before quickly greeting the gentleman who were already carrying their luggage.

"Nothing." Pam quickly defended as she followed her husband.

"Thank you." Emily directed to the receptionist who was still watching them.

"My pleasure Miss Fields." She replied hastily, obviously excited that Emily had personally thanked her and it was then the brunette realised that this young woman knew who she was. Turning to follow her parents she kept her head down in fear someone else might recognise her, this thought hadn't even crossed her mind at all through the course of her trip but now it was going to be stuck on her mind until she was home. She wasn't being self absorbed; she knew she wasn't that special, her popularity had been handed down to her by Alison. It was, depending on which way you looked at it, a perk or the down fall of dating a celebrity.

"Okay Mr Fields," The young man said as they stopped in front of the elevator and waited for it to open. "You security code is here." He handed Wayne a laminated card, then a ping filled their ears and the elevator doors opened. They filed in quietly and the doors shut, they fell into an awkward elevator silence before Wayne realised all eyes were on him.

"So... I just enter in the pin?" He said shyly.

"Yes Sir." His accent was noticeably different to the woman at the front desk however it was still elegant, it was a distinct British tone and for some reason Emily found this odd.

After Wayne had entered in the pin number the elevator beeped and shuttered before starting its smooth ascent to the top and everyone fell into silence.

"What part of England are you from?" Emily asked shyly, her eyes barely focusing on the young man.

"London, ma'am."

"What are you doing here? If I may ask?" She finally looked at him and he had a surprised smile.

"I'm studying here for a year; I just work part time so I can eat."He chuckled and then the ping of the elevator reaching its destination echoed in the small space. As the doors opened he out stretched his arms gesturing the Fields go first, as they slowly walked out into a small hallway they were met with large double doors and a window on one wall and a fire exit on the other, besides that it was the doors to what they assumed was the penthouse which was beyond impressive - so impressive Wayne was almost gawking.

"You should already have you key to the room." The young man said as he pushed the trolley that held their bags out of the elevator.

"Ah yes, I have that." Wayne said as he pulled the plastic card from his pocket.

"Just scan it against the locking system there and it will beep."

Wayne followed the instructions that he was give and sure enough a faint beep emanated from the door before a clicking sound followed. "You can go in now."

Wayne was the one to open the door, being so slow the suspense was almost killing Emily and Pam, they were just as curious to see the inside of the penthouse as he was, however they weren't still doubting that some sort of practical joke was being played.

When the door was finally opened and the three of them walked in they were still surprised by the luxury that struck them. Elegant floral designs were spaced out neatly in almost every corner, the light that hung in the centre of the main room was a chandler and even extravagant paintings hung on certain walls.  
Emily caught her mouth gaping open as he eyes danced across the room; her parents were stuck in the centre facing opposite directions as they too took in the environment. She heard the young man finish placing their bags on the ground and head towards the door, she turned to walk him out and thank him; he seemed surprised by this.

"Here." Emily said as she handed him twenty euro's as his tip. "I know it's probably not as much as some people tip from this room but it could buy you dinner."

"Oh Miss, you don't have to tip me." He said as he placed his hands in front of the money Emily was trying to give him.

"It's kind of customary where I come from, so I insist." She said with a sweet smile and the young man hesitantly took it.

"Thank you ma'am." He lifted his hat politely and took the trolley back to the elevator. Emily shut the door behind her and heard another click, indicating the door had locked itself – trust Alison to visit a hotel that has a huge security system.

As she went to find her parents who had disappeared into the kitchen she was stunned to find them almost gaping at a large bottle of champagne in an ice bucket waiting patiently on the smooth marble counter with a note attached at the neck.  
Emily quirked an eyebrow and was the one to actually reach for the bottle. Opening the small note she smiled, deciding not to expect any less from her girlfriend.

 _To the Fields family; just a little something to get your trip in Paris started._

 _Have a drink on the balcony for me - I'll be toasting with you back home._

 _Enjoy. The view is much better up here._

 _-Alison_

"She is the sweetest." Pam said after she took the note from Emily's hand and read it.

Emily thought of the words Alison had left for her, _the view is much better up here_ , it was almost like Alison was commanding her to investigate and she did.  
Walking to the back of the apartment sized room so opened the large cream curtains and was met with crystal clear glass doors; opening them she felt the cool twilight breeze of Paris hit her face. She closed her eyes and breathed in the change of atmosphere, walking outside she opened her eyes and had the Eifel Tower taking up a good percentage of her view, though it was in the distance it was still enough to make her almost cry out in delight.

"Oh my god Ali..." She whispered to herself. "...I wish you were here."

"I think it's only fitting we enjoy this lovely champagne." Pam suddenly said as she appeared at Emily's side with three empty glasses and the bottle tucked under her arm. Wayne assisted his wife in pouring the drink before handing one to Emily and wrapping his arm around her shoulder comfortingly while Pam finished filling her glass and standing on Emily's other side.

"To a safe trip in Paris?" Pam questioned as she raised her glass to the others.

"And to Alison, for getting us off to a lovely start?" Wayne added and then all eyes were on Emily.

"To Paris and to Ali." She smiled happily.

"To Paris and to Ali." Wayne and Pam said in unison before clinking their glasses together and taking a large sip.

"This is already going to be so perfect." Pam said as she rested her head against Emily's.

"Yes it is." Wayne chimed in shortly after but Emily remained silent.

She was definitely going to enjoy this time with her parents and she felt guilty for even thinking this but the only thing that would truly make Paris completely perfect – was Alison.

-X-

Alison had deteriorated drastically in the last few weeks, her hair was now completely gone but her head was constantly covered with a warm beanie, her skin was pale and unhealthy, her eyes always looked tired and bruised and her breathing had become such a strenuous task that she needed extra help from a machine. Some days were good, the cannula wasn't always necessary but it did help and she sometimes was quite responsive to the treatment, today wasn't one of those days however.

"Cece?" The blonde croaked as she slowly opened her eyes in search of her friend.

"Yeah, I'm here Ali." Cece cooed as she placed her hand above Alison's that lay still against the blankets of her bed.

"Is the chemo almost over?"

"It's got less than an hour to go, why don't you try to sleep? I'll wake you when it's done."

Alison nodded helplessly before closing her already half shut eyes.

Cece watched as Alison's chest struggle to rise and fall on its own, she knew the cancer was there, she knew it had spread to the chest, she knew it was the reason for Alison's struggle, she just didn't know how to break it to the blonde but she also knew what the solution was, it was just hard to deliver such bad news to someone you love.

"What's on your mind? I can hear you thinking from here." Alison murmured with a chuckle, her eyes still closed.

"It's nothing, I'll tell you later." Cece was dawdling, she didn't know why this was so hard, she had many patients before Alison, why was this so difficult?

"Don't lie to me; you know how much I hate it."

"The cancer is in your chest." She blurted out shortly after and Alison remained quiet for a long time.

"How far along is it?" The sick blonde questioned neutrally.

"I can't tell easily by the MRI but it can't be too far along that's why I'm pushing the chemo but as far as I can tell it's sitting against the rib cage and not actually in your lungs which is good."

"I'm sensing a 'but'?" Alison's eyes were opened now and focused directly on her friend.

"But... I don't think it'll be enough Ali." Cece's eyes were on her fiddling fingers, this was the first time during Alison's treatment that she hadn't been able to face her and the blonde sensed this was not good.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I think you should do surgery."

Alison was quiet again.

She missed Emily, she was hoping the brunette was enjoying Paris; the message of gratitude for the champagne was the last Alison had heard from her girlfriend. This was at her own request; she wanted Emily to be focused on Paris, not her cancer.

"What are my chances?" Alison asked softly.

"The surgery is very safe, I have a friend who is one of the best in the field; he's looked at the cancer in your uterus and says that removing it won't be a problem because the chemo has shrunk it down to a good size. The chest should also be fine because it's not too developed, so long as it doesn't physically get into the lungs."

"No Cece, what are my chances of surviving _this_?" Cece looked up from her hands, this was the first time Alison had asked her this and it was the first time Alison had sounded so desperate for a lie because she knew the truth.

"What?" She stuttered, too scared to answer the question she had clearly heard.

"You know you heard me."

"I... I'm not sure... in the beginning I thought it was an easy success case..."

" _But_?" Alison encouraged.

"But... this cancer is so unpredictable; it's unlike anything I've ever seen. I want to do the surgery now, while you're still somewhat functioning and... strong." Cece didn't look away from Alison as she spoke though she found it tempting too, Alison's normally bright blue orbs were filled with tears and her lips trembled as she tried to hold them back, with success she managed to push them aside before taking Cece's hand.

"Thank you for being honest, it's all I ask."

"Can we please organise the surgery? I want it done before the week is out."

"The week? How were you planning on telling me this if I didn't force it out of you?" Alison was so taken aback by the answer that her tired eyes shot open subconsciously.

"I was hoping you'd force it out of me." Cece chuckled lightly, hoping Alison wasn't too mad with her.

"Well... can't it wait until Emily gets back?" Alison wanted Emily around her the surgery, one because she knew the brunette would be displeased if that wasn't the case but two because she needed her girlfriend by her side for support, she had grown very accustom to Emily's company over the last month and the thought of her going into surgery without Emily's knowing bothered her.

"I would prefer if you didn't wait any longer Ali. My friend is a very busy man, the only reason he's doing this is because he owes me a favour."

Alison sighed, she couldn't really argue with Cece, the blonde may have been her friend but in that moment she was her doctor first.

"Okay." She whispered in defeat.

"Emily will understand." Cece replied with an understanding where Alison's thoughts were straying and she nodded gently before letting her eyes close in desperately needed slumber.

-X-

It was day four in Paris and Emily was almost dreading having to leave in three, though she missed Alison dearly and was looking forward to being in the blonde's arms once again. She couldn't wait to hold her and kiss her and tell her all about Paris, all about the Eifel Tower, the art galleries and the food. It was all so amazing she had wished greatly to have spent the time with Alison but she was glad to be accompanying her parents, even if they were being overly romantic and cute.

Emily was exhausted and the moment she had made it inside the hotel she had a shower and was in bed within the hour, as she slowly fell asleep she heard her parents talk of the days events, seeing Notre Dame and visiting The Louvre had taken up a good percentage of the day and having dinner had taken up their entire evening but it didn't tire them enough to stay up passed midnight.

"My goodness!" Pam began as she looked at the clock on the wall. "It's almost one, we should get some rest."

"Time flies when you're having fun I guess dear." Wayne smiled before leaning into the kiss his wife. The sudden ringing of the main hotel phone interrupted them and Pam turned her head curiously to the loud object.

"Why would someone be calling this late?" She mused as she stood and walked over to answer it.

"It's probably a wrong number." Wayne shrugged, though he was even doubtful of this.

"Hello?" Pam said when she made it to the kitchen bench and picked up the phone.

"Oh Mrs Fields, thank goodness I've got a hold of you, it's Mason." Mason replied breathlessly on the other end.

"Mason? Is everything okay?"

Wayne stood from the lounge and quickly rushed to Pam's side, his eyes full of concern and curiosity, it seemed the caller was not a wrong number and he tried to listen in on what Mason was saying on the other line.

"What's going on?" Emily mumbled as she emerged from her room while rubbing her eyes, the loud ringing of the phone waking her.

"Yes... she's here, hold on." Pam answered Mason before looking up at Emily nervously. "It's Mason."

Emily's half closed eyes were now alert and switched on as she ran to the phone, her tired self long forgotten as she placed the item to her ear.

"Mason? What's wrong? Is Ali okay?" Emily stuttered so quickly she wasn't even sure Mason had heard.

"I... she... she's..."

"She's what?" Emily questioned desperately.

"She's not doing too well Emily. I think you should come back." He sounded flat, scared even and his tone made Emily much more anxious.

"What happened? She was doing okay when I left." Emily felt tears welling in her eyes already and Mason hadn't said more than two sentences.

"I can't tell you over the phone Emily, the media over there might have a source tapped into it, when can you get back?" He sounded distant and depressed.

"I'll get on the next flight." Emily muttered as she rubbed her head and she looked up at her parents who both had worried expressions clear on their faces.

"I'll meet you at the airport." He hung up before Emily could ask any more questions which she suspected was intentional - which only worried her more.

"I've got to go." She whispered before she hung up the phone and headed towards her room.

"Emily, what's going on?" Pam asked as she followed her daughter to her room.

"There's something wrong... but he couldn't tell me." Emily whimpered as she tried to hold back the threatening tears, the fact that Mason couldn't tell her was a major problem and the fact that there was at least a ten hours period of not knowing what was going on was slowly torturing her, she felt tears fall uncontrollably down her cheeks as she hurriedly packed her bag.

"Hey, calm down, I'm sure everything's okay sweetie." Pam tried to comfort the rushing brunette even though she too was silently freaking out.

"He wouldn't call this late if it was nothing." Emily continued to cry as she threw a jumper over her baggy bed shirt and changed from her bed shorts into some baggy slacks, not caring that her mother was in front of her.

"Emmy, there's a plane leaving in an hour, come on I'll drive you." Wayne entered the room with his cell phone and the apartment key card.

"I'm sorry to do this to you guys." Emily wiped away her tears as she pulled her mother into a gripping hug.

"We'll come home with you?" Pam offered and she looked up at Wayne who nodded without hesitation.

"No, you guys stay here. I'll call you when I know what's going on."

Emily threw the rest of her things into her suitcase and zipped it shut, she didn't double check if she had everything nor did she even really check if she was properly dressed, luckily she was.  
Walking out of the room she heard her mother and father follow, locking the door Wayne made sure he had his wallet before turning around and making his way into the elevator with his wife and daughter.

"There should be a cab waiting down stairs." He said as the doors closed and the elevators started to move.

"Thanks Dad."

"Are you sure you don't want us to come with you?" Pam offered a second time as they emerged from the elevators into the deserted lobby.

"I'm sure. Stay here please, you guys deserve this." Emily said as they rushed out the lobby doors and into the brisk Paris wind.

"So do you." Wayne whispered, he couldn't help the disappointment seep into his tone, he was going to miss his daughter but he knew this was important.

"To the airport please." Pam directed at the taxi driver who was half yawning as they almost leaped into the car.

"There's another fifty in it if you step on it." Wayne said as he flashed the driver a fifty and the man almost chocked before accepting the command as a challenge and put his foot on the accelerator.

The driver, though surprised by their urgency, had gotten them to the airport in a satisfactory amount of time earning him his extra cash.

"Wait here, we'll be back." Wayne said when the driver pulled up in the taxi bay.

"Do you need any help with the luggage ma'am?" The drive said but Emily was already making her way out of the car.

"No thank you, thanks for the ride." Emily quickly forced a smile before almost throwing her bag out of the car and walking towards the automatic doors to enter the airport.

She was a mess, her eyes were bloodshot and wet, she was still half asleep and her clothes were borderline pyjamas but she didn't care, the only thing that was on her mind was Alison.

"One ticket for the next flight to Philadelphia please." She murmured politely to the young girl at the desk.

"Of course ma'am, I just need your passport." The short brunette replied as she typed into the computer, giving Emily time to pull out her passport from her carryon bag.

"Here." Emily went to hand the woman the small thick booklet and it almost slipped from her tumbling hands, she was so flustered and tired that everything seemed to be a difficult task. "Sorry."

"That's alright Miss Fields." The woman said as she read threw Emily's passport for confirmation of identification, as she continued to type away Emily was grateful that she was being served by a polite person considering she was a mess. "We already have a ticket on the next plane for you Miss Fields."

"What?" Emily asked in confusion.

"I have on my records here saying someone called to put you on this flight. Were you aware of this?"

"Can people do that?" Wayne interrupted before Emily could speak.

"Well they've paid for the ticket Sir, so there's no reason for us to stop them. I remember that call actually, it was less than twenty minutes ago, my colleague said it was a man from memory."

"It was Mason Dad, don't worry." She whispered up at her overly suspicious father.

"Here's your ticket ma'am, your flight is at gate thirty eight, it leaves in half an hour." The woman handed Emily the cardboard ticket and her passport back.

"First class, of course." She muttered to herself as she read the seats before placing the ticket and passport in her jacket pocket. "Thank you."

"Safe journey Miss Fields."

For almost two in the morning the airport was busy though it was quite, most people that were heading to their flights were business men who looked as tired as Emily felt, other patrons were lying down in the waiting bay seats either asleep or trying to sleep.

Emily shuffled around the airport as her parents guided her to the right gate and by the time they had made it to the luggage check ten minutes had already passed.

When her luggage was thrown through machines and checked by staff they smiled politely at her before allowing her to pass the gate, she paused to look at her parents and moved aside so the gentleman behind her could walk through. There wasn't a huge line up, in fact the man she let through was the last of the line, at least the flight home was going to be somewhat quiet.

"I'm sorry." She whispered before her Dad pulled her into a hug.

"We understand." Pam mused as she hugged Emily from behind.

"I'll let you know what's going on as soon as I can." She wiped tears that were falling down her cheeks before inhaling deeply.

"Give Ali our best, okay? We're worried about her." Pam continued.

"I will. I love you guys." Emily whispered.

"Love you too." Pam and Wayne replied in unison before reluctantly letting their daughter go.

As she walked through the gate Emily wiped more tears from her eyes, this was going to be a long flight.

-X-

Eight hours later and Emily's plane had landed, she had spent too long waiting for her bag to be checked but she remained patient, physically anyway, her mind was racing faster than her mouth could keep up. She wasn't even sure how she had functioned proper conversation with the staff but when the time had finally come she was almost running out the gate with her luggage and shoulder bag. Mason was waiting for her, his usual smart black and white suit was only a business shirt and pants with a half undone tie, his blazer was nowhere to be seen and his shirt was untucked. Even with his dark sunglasses on Emily could tell Mason was tired and she didn't know what caused her to do it but the moment she saw him she ran into his musclier chest and hugged him.

"Is she okay?" She whispered when she unexpectedly felt the significantly taller man hug her back.

"I don't know." He whispered in reply and quickly he took both Emily's bags. "Come on. She needs you."

Emily gulped, the last time she had heard him say that the news wasn't particularly good but then Mason didn't look the way he did now. She was freaking out and the moment they exited the airport the large black Range Rover was waiting for them. A younger man was driving, Emily recognised him as Mason's trainee, Duncan but she still couldn't function enough brain power to greet him.

"Let's go." Mason said when he pulled himself in the passenger seat after putting Emily's belongings in the back.

Duncan was a fast driver but surprisingly safe, he weaved in and out of traffic expertly and it was the first time in the last ten hours Emily's thoughts weren't completely focused on Alison.

She wanted to compliment Duncan but she couldn't, she was afraid if she even let her mouth open for one word that more tears would slip.

After less than ten minutes of driving Duncan stopped the car in front of the Philadelphia Private Hospital and Emily was so surprised by this she didn't even realise Mason was pulling her out of the car.

"Go park it underground and rejoin me when you've secured the floor." Mason directed at Duncan and he nodded his head before driving speedily away. "Come on Em."

"She's in hospital...?" She whispered as Mason continued to guide her, he stopped her in front of an elevator and pressed the up arrow more times than necessary, hoping it would somehow speed the machine up. Emily could feel eyes on her but she was suddenly numb, why was Alison in hospital? What had happened in the last four days? Why wouldn't Mason tell her anything?

She felt Mason continue to push her gently and she suddenly realised they had already been in and out of the elevator, Mason was guiding her down a deserted hallway, there were security passes everywhere and even a security guard awaited them when they turned to a sectioned off room, alongside the wall were windows but shutters were blocking the view, indicating that it was more than likely Alison's room.

"Security pass?" The gentleman said and Mason handed him a small white card. "Who's this?"

"She's with me, Jacob." Mason grunted, obviously not in the mood for any interference.

"I need some identification."

"You know who she is, stop being a dick." Mason grunted, his language surprising Emily so much she had to look up at him to assure herself to it was actually him speaking.

"You know the rules Daniel." Jacob murmured smugly in return, obviously enjoying his empowerment. Mason however seemed physically displeased by Jacob's boldness, his fist were clenched behind his back, Jacob couldn't see but Emily could and she swallowed, though it was clear Jacob was superior to Mason, Mason would be able to take the younger and much smaller man down in seconds.

"It's fine Mason, here." Emily took her passport from her jacket pocket and handed it to the still smirking Jacob and she subconsciously stood between the two very tense men as a hopeful neutralizer.

"Thank you." Jacob smiled down at Emily, he may have been significantly shorter than Mason but he was still significantly taller than Emily.

"Can I go in now?" She was so agitated to see Alison that she was shaking in anticipation.

"You have to clean your hands first." Mason directed from behind her, clearly trying to interrupt Jacob before he could speak. Emily turned to Mason who nodded at the wall where a push top bottle of hand sanitiser was strapped securely to it, when Emily looked around she noticed these bottles where laid out through the entire hallway even few metres.

After the thorough process of cleaning her hands and even slightly up her arms she looked at the plain white door hopefully and then looked up at Jacob. His smirk seem to disappear when he saw the distress in Emily's eyes and the moment he saw tears develop he quickly turned to the door and pressed his own security pass against the scanner finally allowing Emily access into Alison's room.

"Are you coming?" She said when she noticed Mason remaining where he was.

"Only one at a time Miss Fields." Jacob said softly, his bipolar like behaviour would've confused her greatly if her thoughts weren't occupied. "Please... refrain from any physical contact."

Without another word she nodded and opened the door. Shutting it behind her she paused with her head facing the door, she was too scared to look at the bed; she was too scared to look at all the machines that she knew Alison would be attached too.  
Inhaling sharply she let go of the door handle she didn't realise she was clinging to and turned around. Alison was lying almost lifeless in the bed with - as Emily had expected - many machines attached to her. Her pale face was dripping with sweat but she was covered with blankets, it confused her but her eyes continued to investigate. The only signs of life was the gentle beeping of Alison's heart rate monitor, it was slightly fast from what Emily could tell but not dangerously so, she supposed if it were a problem there would be evidence of that.

An oxygen mask was covering Alison's mouth and it somehow gave Emily a sense of comfort but not enough to make her move, she seemed stuck by the door with her arms crossed insecurely around her chest.

After almost two minutes of standing she finally found the courage to move, she wanted to physically see the rise and fall of Alison's chest, she _needed_ to see it.

"Ali?" She whispered, feeling guilty for wanting to disturb the blonde from her slumber. When Alison didn't reply she walked to the only available chair that was beside the bed and sat down quietly, her head was flooding with questions but she had a feeling Alison didn't know the answer to most of them.

She sat for a long time, her eyes never leaving the slight fog that was created against the mask when Alison would exhale and her ears on alert for any changes in the blonde's constant heart beat. She wanted to touch Alison, she wanted to hold her hand and feel her skin but she was too scared too, obviously Jacob had warned her for a reason.

Emily didn't know how much time had passed before she heard the click of the door opening and closing, at first her eyes didn't leave Alison but when she heard footsteps echo in her ear she became curious.

"Hey." It was Cece in white doctors robes, it was the first time in a long time Emily had see Cece dressed to fit her profession, the blonde had been wearing casual clothing whenever she had been around Emily and Alison and she was guessing it was the only reason there was an exception on how many people were allowed to occupy the room.

"Hi." She forced herself to speak but her throat gave way and cracked.

"Emily..." Cece began, her voice soft and very disheartening against Emily's ears.

"What's wrong with her?" She interrupted before Cece could continue.

"She had a surgery, to get rid of the cancer in her uterus and chest."

"I thought it wasn't in her lungs?" Emily hadn't even made it half way through her sentence before tears began to fall.

"It's not physically in her lungs, it was sitting against one lung though, and that's why breathing is difficult for her. I found it after her second MRI." Emily felt a large lump swell deep in her throat but she merely nodded and looked back to Alison. "I said surgery would be the best option, so we could at least get a majority of the cancer out and let the chemo and radiation do the rest when she was healed."

"So... what went wrong?" Emily could tell by Cece's tone that things had not gone the way she had hoped.

"When the surgeon and his team had removed the cancer in the uterus they moved onto her chest, it's risky to do both surgeries together but it's riskier to leave a progressive cancer. They had removed about half of it when Alison's heart stopped."

"What?" Emily gasped, her eyes returning to Cece full of tears. "Why?"

"We still don't know but he's a good surgeon, they got her heart started again and decided against continuing. He considers this surgery a success, a good percentage of the cancer is gone and he believes with proper treatment the rest will go. So for now, it is under control."

"Then why do you sound so distressed?" Emily challenged, sensing Cece had more to say but was avoiding it.

"The fact that her heart stopped without any clear reason is an issue."

"Cece, what aren't you telling me?" Emily pushed with tears falling down her cheeks and Cece was quiet for a long time.

"We think she went into cardiac arrest mid surgery." She murmured sadly. "It's only a theory and I can't do the tests because that's risky. I want her to recover first."

"Cardiac arrest? But... she's so young." It was a statement more than anything but Cece chose to take it as Emily's mind trying to wrap itself around the situation with a subtle question.

"She is but cardiac arrest isn't unheard of at her age, it's more something must have caused. I can't figure out what it was by just guessing but when I was watching the surgery..." Her words died away and it caught Emily's attention.

"You were watching?" Emily questioned and Cece nodded. "What happened?"

"It was like she had... given up."

"How could you tell? Wasn't she asleep?" Emily took Cece's words with offensive, she was suddenly angry and bitter, and how could she say that about Alison?

"Yes of course, but even when her heart stopped... it was just weird. Alison would have fought to stay alive but the surgeons were the one fighting for her. It wasn't like Ali."

"Well of course not! She was under antiseptic, she's sick Cece! How can you say that about her?" Emily felt her legs stand defensively, she didn't actually pose any threat to Cece and the blonde knew that but she also knew she had hit a sensitive topic and she bowed her head in respect.

"I'm sorry Emily; I didn't mean to offend you. I just think you should be ready for a very confused Alison when she wakes up, she may not be in a very good mind set." Cece's cooling tone had instantly calmed Emily and she immediately felt awful for snapping, this was obviously just as hard for Cece as it was for her.

"I'm sorry Cece, I didn't mean to... I'm sorry." Emily felt her eyes water again so she sat down and put her face into her hands. "I'm just scared."

Cece walked to Emily's side and placed her hand comfortingly on her shoulder, causing the brunette's wet face to leave her hands and face the blonde.

"She'll be okay, remember what I said? This is hard for us too, she may forget that for now so when she wakes up there is a high chance she will be depressed and she could lash out. Be prepared for that."

"Well I see you're already prepared, I lashed out at you and you handled it well."

"Em, I have been doing this for years and in comparison you didn't lash out. Don't be too hard on yourself." Emily looked down at her hands and wiped away her tears before looking back to Cece.

"Is she going to die?" She couldn't help asking it, it had been on her mind ever since Cece walked in.

"Why don't you ask her when she's up? Remember, you're the only one that can get away with boldness around her, she needs reminding of who she has and how strong she is now because she's too caught up in her past."

Emily nodded slowly, Cece was unlike any doctor she had ever met, she spoke with experience but she spoke deeply from the heart.  
Her eyes went back to Alison who hadn't moved once during their entire conversation and the more Emily looked at her the more she wanted to touch her and hold her.

"I'll leave you two alone, do you have any questions?" Cece said with a gentle squeeze on Emily's shoulder.

"Probably but right now I can only focus on her." She replied, not looking away from Alison's chest that she realised had tubing coming from it, she figured it was from the surgery but she didn't really want to talk about it anymore, she was done talking but it did spring a topic to her mind. "Can you call my parents? I don't really know what I can say to them right now but can you just tell them I'm here?"

"Sure." Cece said with a comforting smile when Emily's eyes finally made contact with her own. "I'll be back later, get Daniel if you need anything."

"Thank you Cece." Emily whispered and the blonde opened her arms expectantly. It seemed a hug was what Emily needed but it made her tear up again.

"When she wakes up, no kissing we can't risk the chance of infection now." Cece had a playful tone but Emily could tell she was serious as well.

"Can... can I hold her hand?"

"I don't see the harm but if Captain Uptight comes in just let go of her." Cece whispered as she turned to the door.

"Captain Uptight?" Emily almost laughed, almost.

"Jacob, I'll explain who he is later, right now I've got other patients to see and I know you need some time alone with Ali, even if she is asleep. Oh and talking might be a struggle for her, so when she is awake don't let her force it, okay?"

Emily wanted to ask why but she just nodded and Cece left her alone without another word; it began the process of a never ending cycle of troubling thoughts in the brunette's mind, what if Alison wasn't going to be okay? Cardiac arrest? Emily didn't understand, but all she knew was cardiac arrest was never good, especially in surgery.

She watched Alison protectively for what seemed like an eternity but the blonde never moved, not even slightly, which she found troubling. Subconsciously she outstretched her hand in hopes the contact would awake the blonde, she knew it was selfish but she was getting to the point where she desperately needed to see Alison's eyes flutter open, even if it was a brief flutter.

When she finally allowed her hand to rest against Alison's she was surprised by how cold she was and even though sweat was evident against the blonde's forehead Emily now understood why the blonde was covered in blankets from her waist down. She gathered the blankets couldn't sit directly on her chest because of all the tubing that was helping her heart keep a steady beat.

"You promised me you weren't going anywhere." Emily sobbed painfully as she clutched to Alison's hand. She didn't know what to feel, she didn't know if she was allowed to be upset with the blonde in this situation but the way Cece had described the surgery and Alison... giving up... it made her angry and sad and upset and confused and way too many emotions for one person to handle after the day she had.

"Em...?" Alison suddenly croaked, her voice could barely be considered a whisper but it still startled Emily. Her eyes shot up from Alison's hand and to her eyes, they were still closed but now they were fluttering and Emily's heart copied the beat in relief.

"Yes, Ali I'm here." She felt tears develop again as both hands went to Alison's.

"What-" She began but was interrupted by a painful cough; she groaned before whimpering and tuning to face Emily.

Her eyes were barely opened because the light hurt her eyes and her head, her whole body was aching, especially her chest. She didn't remember much but she didn't really want to, Cece had explained everything when she had woken up from recovery after the surgery but she was still so exhausted that most of the information had gone through one ear and flew out the other.

"You're okay, don't talk if it hurts." Emily encouraged quietly while stroking her hand.

"Can... you turn... off the... light?"

Emily paused momentarily before looking over her shoulder and at the light switch on the wall.

"Yeah, sure." She stood without question and flicked the switch to off, extinguishing the bright lights and causing Alison to almost sigh in relief.

She didn't know if turning off a light would cause problems but she figured giving Alison at least that couldn't do any harm.

When she sat back down she was surprised by Alison's hand reaching for her, it was such a weak movement that it could barely be considered movement at all but she took the blonde's struggling finger tips with her own and felt more tears gather as she watched her girlfriend attempted to grasp to her became a silent struggle.

"I missed... you." Alison murmured when she finally managed to fully open her eyes.

"I missed you too." Emily sniffed as she wiped away some tears.

"How was-" Alison coughed again and each time her voice failed on her Emily felt it tear at her heart, so quickly she squeezed the blonde's hand to grab her attention.

"Paris was amazing, thank you for the hotel and the champagne and the dinner." She smiled comfortingly. "As much as I love your voice, don't force yourself."

"Tell me." Alison croaked again and Emily smiled, even in her state the blonde managed to maintain her commanding self.

"About Paris? Alison nodded. "It was beautiful. I ate so much."

Alison puffed a small laugh and smiled that cute smile Emily knew she was only one fortunate enough to see, it made the blonde's pale face light up and her bright blue orbs not seem so tired and sick. Emily began the lengthy story of her trip in Paris in detail and Alison felt the pains in her body slowly disappear, she liked listening to Emily, she found in relaxing, soothing.

"Mum and Dad were really loving it, couldn't keep their hands off each other really, I felt like I was the third wheel sometimes." Emily laughed as she reminisced and Alison smiled softly.

"I wish... I could've come... with... you." It took her almost half a minute to finish her sentence but Emily gave her the time, she knew if she completely stopped the blonde from talking then she would get upset, which wasn't what she wanted at all.

"Next time." Emily nodded and Alison's smile quickly disappeared. Emily knew she had said the wrong thing but she didn't know how to recover either; it wasn't fair that she was just supposed to allow Alison to be negative, obviously it was going to have an effect on how she recovered. "There will be a next time Ali." She stated boldly and Alison re-tracked her hand from hers.

"You know... I died... right?"

"I know but you're not dead now, are you? There's a reason for that." Emily tried her hardest to keep her tone and attitude under control but Alison's stubbornness always proved to be a challenge.

"Yeah... they couldn't just... give up and let... me die." Alison was no longer looking at Emily but up at the machines that were helping her heart.

"How can you say that?" Emily whispered sadly and her hand that had still been lying on the bed in hopes Alison may reconnect the contact moved to her lap like Alison's words had physically burnt her.

"Because... it's how... I feel." Alison's tone was bitter and angry and though Cece had given Emily a clear warning with time to prepare, she wasn't ready. She stood up with a huff and ran her fingers roughly through her hair and paced briefly before calming herself, she had to stay patient; she had to allow Alison the right to be bitter and angry.

"Okay... okay. I'm sorry." She sighed and turned to face the blonde again, who was oddly smiling up at her. "What?"

"Those... fingers and... that hair." She muffled, being sure to take deep breaths in between words and concentrate on the brunette instead of the immense pain she was in.

Emily sighed lightly before letting a tear fall from her eyes, in the time Alison had been awake they had already shared an intense conversation that could probably be considered an argument and the blonde had been awake for less than ten minutes,

"I don't want to fight." She mused as she sat back at Alison's side while placing her hands on the bed pleadingly.

"I don't... either." Alison said quietly through her oxygen mask and lifting her hand slowly she returned it to Emily's.

"You're allowed to feel however you want okay? I'm going to be here regardless, I promise." She almost clutched to Alison's hands, making sure she was not going to let go unless considered absolutely necessary.

"I meant... what I... promised you... too." Alison said, referring to what only Emily could have assumed as what she had said when she thought the blonde was asleep.

"Ali... if you're not happy, if you're in too much pain... you don't have to stay because of me."

It pained her so much to say it that Emily's voice was so soft Alison almost had to strain her ears to hear her but when the brunette's sad brown orbs finally looked up from their hands she understood what she was inferring and suddenly she felt her heart sink.

"I... I don't...want to go." Slowly she lifted her hand in a failed attempt to touch Emily's face, though the brunette had quickly caught on and she titled her head so she could reach. Soothing Emily's cheek softly Alison's felt tears hit her fingers and it broke her heart just how much her girlfriend was struggling. "What are... you thinking?"

"Nothing..." Emily murmured as she removed her face from Alison's hands and wiped away the offending tears. "I'm just tired."

"Tell me, please." She encouraged and she saw Emily internally crack as though the pressure of remaining strong and in control had finally taken over her.

"I don't think... I could live... without you." She had made it half way through her sentence before more tears fell down her cheeks and all attempts to suppress her sobs disappeared, she placed her head against the bed and was grateful to feel Alison's hand ready to comfort her. "I _know_ I couldn't."

"I'm sorry." Alison whispered, realising how her negativity had affected the people around her, especially Emily.

"No Ali I'm sorry, I'm being selfish... I just can't help it. I love you so much and the thought of you just not being around anymore... hurts so much." Emily continued to sob but her head was still facing Alison and her eyes never left the blonde's except for when she wiped away tears.

"I love... you too." Alison coughed hoarsely and it caused Emily's cries to soften.

"I _love_ your voice Ali but please, stop forcing yourself." Emily sniffed and sat up; wiping away her final tears she scooted the chair closer to Alison and reconnected their hands. "Cece told me you have to be careful."

"Did she now?" Alison chuckled very softly while smoothing Emily's palm with her thumb.

"Yes, she did." Emily smiled.

"Well... I should do what... I'm told. Can... I at least... have a kiss?" Alison mumbled, her eyes suddenly feeling tired and sore again.

"I'm not allowed too." Emily grumbled in disappointment.

"Says who?" Alison almost explained, her voice the loudest Emily had heard the entire time the blonde had been awake.

"Cece."

"That bitch." She said sarcastically, Emily laughed and took Alison's weak hand to raise it to her lips, being careful not to hit or tangle any of the tubing that was strapped to the blonde before gently allowing her lips to kiss her hand.

"No one will ever know." Emily giggled and Alison smiled her cute smile before yawning. "You should rest."

"But-" Alison went to protest but she was quickly interrupted by Emily's lips kissing her hand again.

"I'm not going anywhere, I'll be right here when you wake up." Standing from the chair Emily leant over Alison and touched her cold cheek, the feeling of the strap for the mask sat against her palm and the plastic cover touched her thumb slightly but for the most she was touching Alison's cheek.

Alison watched her curiously, her eyes fluttering when Emily's thumb soothed her skin.

"Are you... going to break... the rules?" She asked hopefully.

"I can't this time; I don't want you sicker." Emily smiled at Alison's attempt but she would never risk the chance of infection. Leaning down she slowly moved away the fluffy beanie that had been hiding Alison's head from the cold and she lightly kissed her temple before returning the beanie to its former position.

"Goodnight baby."

"Goodnight." Alison replied before allowing her eyes to finally close from exhaustion. "Em?"

"Yeah?" She replied softly.

"Are you wearing... pyjamas?" Emily looked down at herself and blushed a bright shade of red when she realised Alison was trying to suppress a laugh but she was glad Alison was at least feeling somewhat a little more positive. She considered their conversation a personal win and she too smiled before laughing along with her girlfriend.

 **Hey guys I hope you liked this (sorry about how long it's been and sorry for the French spelling! I'm not sure if it's correct or not)**

 **I'm sorry if this was a bit depressing and not much fluff, I was trying to see how I could go with getting a little deeper and more intense, tell me what you think! Hopefully it got you guy's right in "the feels" (I hear "the feels" is a thing now? Maybe just where I'm from**

 **Anyways always review, let me know what you think! I always love hearing what you guys have to say!**

 **-Aemstar**


	22. Chapter 22

_**Chapter Twenty Two**_

Alison had fallen asleep not long after she questioned Emily's attire and remained in her slumber for almost seven hours.

Emily hadn't left her side once, she had been sitting silently in the visitor's chair watching the blonde protectively; not doing much else. It wasn't until about six in the morning that her eyes began to collapse from exhaustion, she had arrived back in Philadelphia at about three a.m. and her jet lag was throwing her around as she hadn't given it time to readjust and instead focused on being with Alison.

Her hand had made itself comfortable against Alison's who rested deeply, it seemed nothing would wake her, not even when Jacob had opened the door to check everything was alright, he wasn't a very quite person but Emily sensed he wasn't aware of that fact.

It was just after seven in the morning and Emily's eyes finally gave up their battle to stay open. She had moved the chair closer to the bed so leaning her head against the warm sheets only made her tired eyes close faster; she was hoping that by resting her head beside Alison's hand it would provide her with a comfort she was in desperate need of.

It felt like no time had passed at all when a cold hand was suddenly but softly stroking her resting head, she sighed, titled her head and opened her eyes to find Alison's weak eyes staring back at her.

"I'm sorry... I woke... you." She croaked, her voice sounding even more painful than seven hours ago.

"Don't be sorry." Emily yawned before sitting back up and extending her arms behind her head and stretching.

"Did you... get much... sleep?" The blonde questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"How much talking are you going to do until you remember that you have doctors' orders?"

"How much... avoiding... of my questions... are you going... to do... until... you answer me?" Alison may have sounded sick but the dominance in her tone was still evident.

"Touché." Emily chuckled as she looked down at her watch for the time. "I got about an hour." She answered and Alison seemed happy with her honesty but unhappy with the result, however she didn't speak her mind considering her throat was too sore to argue with her feisty brunette.

Emily watched over her protectively for a long time and she didn't mind, she was just enjoying the company. She wanted to talk with her girlfriend, there was nothing more she wanted than to hear all about Emily's trip to Paris. As time passed Alison realised Emily's lip twitching into a smile and it made her curious.

"What?" She forced from her sore body.

"I was just thinking about Paris, and my parent's face when they walked into the penthouse, you really didn't have to, you know?"

Alison remained silent but gave Emily an encouraging shrug, indicating that she should keep talking.

"They did love it, I loved it. My goodness the view." Emily seemed lost in thought as she spoke and Alison found it enlightening, though the brunette's behaviour quickly changed when she looked back to Alison who had been listening quietly. "Why didn't you tell me you were having surgery?"

She didn't know why she was asking because she already knew the answer, she knew Alison didn't tell her because of her holiday but it still hurt finding out the way that she did.

"If it's any consolation she did beg me to wait until you got back." Cece's voice suddenly came from the door, startling Emily slightly. "But I insisted Em, it was very serious."

Cece joined them in the room and stood by the end of the bed, she looked between the two very quiet girls expecting one of them to speak. She gave Alison a warning expression to not push her limits and so the blonde kept her mouth closed, the oxygen mask making it an easy task.

"Was? Do you mean she's getting better?" Emily questioned hopefully.

"She's getting better but she's not out of the woods yet."

"When-" Alison began softly but she was quickly interrupted by Cece who hadn't given her more than five seconds to continue speaking.

"In a couple of days, Mason and Derek also want this to wash over the media's head. They seemed to be oblivious, curious but oblivious. My priority however is to get you better and leaving the hospital is not part of that plan right now." Cece rubbed her eyes, it looked as though she hadn't slept all night and judging by her doctor's robes still on it was apparent she wasn't going to be taking a nap anytime soon either. Both Emily and Alison were worried but neither chose to say anything, in fear the blonde might have something witty to say in response.

The sudden ringing in Emily's pocket broke the silence and her eye's widen in surprise, it was definitely not someone she was expecting.

"Excuse me, I should take this." She stood from the chair while giving both blonde's an apologetic look before quickly departing the room.

"Hello Mr Campton, how are you?" She swallowed, her mouth dry and her vocal chords almost failing her. Why was she so nervous to talk to her boss?

"Hello Emily, I am good, how are you?" He sounded distant, not his usual bubbly self, his tone even sounded foreign like he was speaking to Emily for the first time and she knew that couldn't have been good.

"Uh, yeah good thanks. Is everything alright? Are you not happy with the work I sent you before I went on holidays?" Emily was nervous; she began pacing up and down the hallway before quickly turning around the corner and out of sight and earshot of Alison's room.

"No Emily, your work was satisfactory." He didn't sound impressed and she swallowed again, as she went to speak she was quickly interrupted. "I'm sorry Emily..." He began slowly. "I just can't have a worker so far away from my office so frequently; other employees have started complaining that it's due to special treatment. For a while I was ignoring it but it has gotten to a point where I can't control it."

"What do you mean special treatment?" Emily didn't really need to ask him but she did anyway, she wanted to hear the words fall from his mouth, she wanted him to admit that he had caved to such ridiculousness.

"Due to your relationship with Miss DiLaurentis some people are thinking I am using that. I shouldn't have to justify my actions to my employees but I think that this is for the best Emily, I am willing to offer you a payment for your resignation because you have always been an ample employee. I'm sorry to do this."

Emily could hear how genuine Bill sounded but it wasn't enough for the smallest amount of anger to sit in the pit of her stomach, though she didn't dare take it out of her boss... ex boss.

"I'm sorry it had to end this way Mr Campton." She swallowed deeply again and sat down on of the waiting chairs that sat by the wall adjacent from the window, the view outside was amazing, regardless of the gloomy weather that seemed to hang over Philadelphia. It wasn't until then that Emily realised how high she was, they must have been close to if not the top floor of the hospital.

"Please, Emily. It's Bill. I know you might want to call me something more than that right now but I hope you can see my side someday, I don't expect anything of course."

"I understand." She whispered as she felt guilt mix in with her anger. "Would you mind if Hanna collected my things from my desk? I don't really want to... you know."

"Of course, I will send you everything else in the mail. Thank you Emily."

"Thank you for the experience, Bill." She forced politely before hanging up the phone.

Holding onto her phone she leant forward to look out the window at the Philadelphian world below, everything seemed so small and insignificant and yet she felt as though she was the insignificant. She didn't seemed surprised at the loss of her job, she basically hadn't been in the office since she had restarted her relationship with Alison, for obvious reasons but that didn't mean losing it didn't hurt, she was just happy she had been saving her money.

Watching from above as cars and trucks drove by and people walking innocently as though the world around them didn't seem to exist outside their little bubble, Emily was almost envious of their innocent unawareness, she wished that things may have been a bit easier, even just slightly.  
At least for Alison.

Why did she have to meet such a beautiful woman only to have fate dangle death in front of her, it was cruel and it made her angry. She felt as though she was being personally punished for all the wrong things she had done in her life, she believed in karma but she didn't realise it was going to punish her through Alison. She didn't know if it was because of everything that had just happened giving her an overly emotional state of mind or if she was actually thinking rationally, she didn't know but she had decided that she could allow herself to be angry.

"Are you okay?" Mason was suddenly in front of her, breaking her from her train of thought. She straightened up while tapping her phone between her hands and gave him a confusing smile.

"I just got fired." She scoffed softly before leaning back into her seat.

Mason sighed though he didn't seem surprised by the news; Emily guessed it was because she wasn't really surprised either. He walked towards her and sat down on the available seat beside her while his arm stretched out over her shoulders, giving her a surprisingly gentle hug.

"I'm sorry Em." For such a tall muscular man Mason was incredible kind and gentle, Emily found his caring nature sort of like an older brother figurer, even though he could have been old enough to be her father if he had children young enough.

"I guess I can focus on Ali now though." She looked up at him with a genuine smile before moving out of his hug as he disconnected.

"She does need you." He noted with a slow nod.

"Maybe I can spend more time with her so you can focus on your wife, she must be close now yeah?"

Mason chuckled lightly before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small laminated piece of paper, he briefly looked at it with an adorable smile before handing it to Emily. It was a picture of a young woman, she couldn't have been any older than thirty five, she had beautiful long brown hair and she was dressed in a plain but slimming white dress, she was holding a new born baby that was dressed in a cute pink dress and Emily could instantly see the resemble of Mason in the young baby despite her age and gender. The nose and hair colour was almost identical and Emily instantly looked up in surprise.

"Oh my god Mason! When?" She felt herself getting energized, the thought of Mason being a father excited her.

"A day after you left for Paris." He smiled proudly before taking the photo from Emily and admiring his family again.

"What's her name?"

"Lauren Emilia Mason." He was still looking at the photo as Emily took in his daughters chosen name but he could see in his peripherals the surprise on the brunette's face.

"Was that inspired from anything in particular?" Emily giggled as she leant closer to him to look at the photo again.

"It may have been." He chuckled. "I think you'll really like her."

"I'd love to meet her." She smiled happily, at least something good had happened while she was gone. Although she couldn't say that Alison coming out of that surgery wasn't good because in reality she might not have, not alive anyway. In reality her job could be replaced, Alison couldn't.

"I'll bring her up with my wife later, she wants to see Alison. They've only met a hand full of times but they really connected, I guess she was really the closest thing Alison had to a mother, despite my wife's age."

"Do you know much about Ali's parents?" Emily didn't know why her mind was suddenly so focused on the thought of the oldest DiLaurentis' but she didn't want to go whole life not knowing a thing, especially if she and Alison were serious.

"A bit, mostly just want a security check goes into detail on. You know, age, birth place, criminal record, if any, credit checks. All that kind of stuff." He shrugged, obviously not very invested in the topic, probably due to Alison's influence.

"Did they really throw her out after... you know?" She questioned softly as though Alison was close by, though they were clearly alone, there didn't even seem to be staff floating around which Emily had finally noticed and decided was weird until she realised who she was visiting.

"From what I could tell yes, obviously I wasn't around at the time but I believe Alison, her parents are dodgy people."

"It sucks, Ali deserved better." She sighed before turning her head to face the window once more, the world outside didn't seem to change except for the occasional cloud covering the sun, the day seemed more miserable by the minute and rain threatened Philadelphia but not enough to make the citizen stop with their everyday activities.

"She got it eventually." Mason said with a smile as he followed Emily's eyes, she seemed lost, tired and confused but he decided not to force conversation on the negative, she was obviously struggling with losing her job but she was hiding it to suppress the guilt she would feel if the attention strayed from Alison.

"I hope so." Emily murmured solemnly, her eyes focusing on the landscape hiding behind the taller buildings where a heavy rain had already began to fall.

"You have no idea what you've given her, Emily." Mason stood and paused. "You gave her a reason to live."

He walked away to find Duncan leaving Emily with no time to questioned him, it was his intentions to give her something that would ultimately distract her mind and he had succeeded.

Emily stood to stretch her legs that had been cramped for hours in an uncomfortable hospital chair, though it was still more comfortable than any furniture she used to own.

She pushed her arms up to relieve some tension before crossing them cozily under her chest and by the time she had returned her gaze to the window a dark cloud was covering the skyscrapers of Philadelphia. Rain was hitting the window and creating a slight blur causing her vision of the people below to fade, this was enough motivation to go back to Alison and tell the blonde about her job, or lack thereof.

When she walked back around the corner surprised to not find Jacob but a much smaller Duncan, he was standing straight and his arms sat securely around his back, he did look the part that was for sure. All he needed was a buzz cut but Emily sensed the young man liked his long hair the way it was, tied back in a loose pony tail, she thought it made him look older anyway.

"Daniel was looking for you." She stated, though it was half a question.

"He found me, at a bad time." He said with a chuckle and Emily's eyebrow quirked. "He is in with Miss DiLaurentis but he said he wouldn't be long."

"Why bad?" Emily questioned, her curiosity getting the best of her, she found his smile infectious and decided that she could get to know the newest addition to Alison's body guards.

"I was talking to one of the nurses, when I should have been waiting for him. Oh well, lesson learnt. Don't try to get a girls number while on the job." He chuckled again with only his shoulders moving, the rest of his body remaining expertly still.

"That should probably just be a given." Emily laughed sarcastically, she liked Duncan already and they had barely spoken.

"Probably but hey, I couldn't resist." He turned his head slightly as if he was listening for something but quickly turned his attention back to Emily. "She was very nice."

"Well, did you end up getting her number?"

"Don't tell Mason but yes I did." He said proudly, clearly impressed by his efforts. Before either could speak again the click of the door opening broke the air and Mason walked out.

"Tell me what?" The taller body guard questioned, his tone stern but his lips giving into a smile.

"Well if we were going to tell you then there would be no point in saying 'don't tell Mason'." Emily rescued Duncan from an inevitable lecture and he managed to thank her with a subtle wink that Mason had missed.

"You're lucky you don't work for me Emily." Mason laughed.

"Yeah that's true, I like you too much for you to be my boss." Emily laughed and Duncan joined in before quickly hushing when Mason stared daggers at him.

"What? Don't you like me?" He directed to his apprentice, his tone sarcastic indicating that he was indeed joking.

"Em?" Alison called from inside the room and Emily's eyes quickly shot up before turning to Mason and Duncan apologetically.

"Excuse me." She said before making her way into the room. "Hey sweetie, what's up?"

"I don't feel... good." She whispered through the mask.

"How so baby?" Emily sat at Alison's side, her hand taking the blonde's comfortingly while slowly stroking her arm.

"My... tummy aches."

"It could just be what's left of the chemo you had last week, why don't you get some rest?" She didn't have the heart to tell the blonde that she had lost her job, she just couldn't bring herself to turn the attention from her.

"I will, I've... asked Mason... to take... you home."

"What? Why?" Emily's hand tightened around Alison's and she instantly felt her body move closer.

"You need... to change." The blonde managed a soft laugh when Emily looked down at her clothes, realising what she had been wearing this whole time, she had completely forgotten about almost everything given the situation.

"Right... well thank goodness my pajamas are just slacks and a t-shirt." Emily chuckled before standing from the bed.

"Can I please... just have one... kiss?" Alison begged and it was almost impossible to say no to her blonde, though she also knew Alison knew this, even the slight sign of a smirk sat in the corner of Alison's lips and Emily fought the urge to remove the mask from her face and kissing it. She didn't know how she had managed to resist this long, there was nothing more she wanted expect of course Alison's health, which was the only reason she _had_ lasted this long.

"You know I can't." Emily said quietly so Mason and Duncan couldn't hear, though she figured they may have been discussing who was going to take her home and who was going to watch Alison, considering Jacob had disappeared.

Alison's smirk turned into a pout and it made Emily chuckle, the blonde was still irresistible even when she was refused something. "You really don't like being told no."

She leant down and gave the blonde another kiss on the forehead, this time however she hovered momentarily before kissing the lightest trail down to Alison's cheek.

"You know every time I kiss you it makes it harder to stop." Emily pointed out as her lips lingered by Alison's cheek.

"That's... the point." Alison whispered, her smirk returning to her lips as she spoke.

"I probably can't even do this, don't make it harder to stop baby." This time Emily was the one to plead and Alison's smirk turned into a soft smile, she always loved how kind and considerate Emily was.

"I'm sorry... Now get that... sexy ass home... and get changed. Try and sleep... too." Alison's speech may have been slightly impaired but it didn't stop her usual bossiness to shine through.

"Yes ma'am." Emily said before giving Alison a final swift kiss on the cheek and straightening up.

"Em?" The blonde called after Emily turned to exit the room, she turned with a curious smile and waited for Alison to continue. "I love you."

The sincerity in Alison's voice made Emily's heart melt, her affection towards the blonde seemed to increase even with the distance between them, though she decided she wasn't quite finished with saying goodbye, so walking back to Alison's side she kissed the space between her eyebrows and then her shoulder.

"I love you too."

-X-

Time passed, hours turned into days and then days turned into weeks. It was Alison's third and final week in hospital and she couldn't have been happier. The recovery was awful; the constant pain in her chest was only ever at its bare minimal when she was under the influence of heavy drugs that made her feel sick. Her scars were constantly burning but apparently that was one of the many signs of the recovery.

Emily had watched every day, she watched Alison go through everything, the scans on her chest, the cleaning of her scars, even when she was sick after her first dosage of strong painkillers and first try of chemotherapy post surgery. It wasn't fun but it seemed to work, despite how sick she may have seemed. For a while it seemed as though Alison would never get better until the end of week two where she had gotten some colour back in her face, her temperature and heart rate seemed to return to normal and her speech also went back to normal, much to her pleasure.

"It looks like the cancer is in just one spot now, Ali." Cece said while she pulled out a CT scan from one of the large envelopes she was carrying as Alison sat on the bed and watched Emily pack her things. She would have done it herself but the brunette had insisted, twice.

"What does that mean?" She questioned as Cece held one of the scans up to the roof at the light, investigating it with her tired eyes.

"It means only a few more sessions of chemo and then we move onto radiation to completely rid of it."

"Hey, that's so great." Emily said happily, she hadn't spoken much that day and she even seemed distracted but it could have been for many reasons, the problem was Alison didn't know. She had decided she would ask Emily when they were completely alone, which hadn't been a lot since she had been in hospital, collectively anyway. There had been short periods of alone time before they were interrupted by a nurse or Cece or even Mason or Jacob. Emily still didn't know who he was but she had never really had the time to ask and after the first week of constant hospital visits it wasn't really at the top of her priority list.

"Yes it is." Alison said casually, as if the news was no big concern, it wasn't until both Cece and Emily gave her quizzical looks that she spoke again. "Can I please get a god damn kiss now? I am having withdrawals for heaven sakes."

Three weeks had felt like an eternity for both of them and though the plea was technically directed at Emily, she was looking at Cece for permission.

"Goodness Ali, you're like a dog with a bone." Cece chuckled while putting the scans away; figuring Alison was no longer interested in them.

"I'm serious, I need some physical attention otherwise I might explode." Alison crossed her arms like a little child that had just be told no, her lips again had a small pout that she had perfected in her three weeks of constant "no's" from Cece whenever she asked the same question. Emily laughed as she zipped up Alison's back and looked over at Cece, the blonde had her own pout but it was directed at the brunette as a silent plea for help.

"Ali, baby. Not yet okay?" Emily said softly, hoping Alison wouldn't be too upset with her for once again taking Cece's side. "You know what they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder."

"My heart has reached its fond limit." Alison continued to pout, her eyes moving over to Emily as she and Cece began a pouting competition to see who Emily would cave into.

"Stop acting like a horny teenager and get your ass up, you're going home now, at least wait until then okay?"Alison pout lifted into a large grin and she made the effort to stop acting like a child, at least in front of Cece anyway.

"Fine, excuse me the horny teenager has got to use the bathroom." Alison slowly stood from the bed and walked to the end of the room where the bathroom was and walked in, closing the door behind while giving Emily a genuine smile and then turned to stick her tongue out at Cece.

"Are you sure it'll be okay for us to be kissing so soon?" Emily asked when she was sure Alison could no longer hear them.

"Yes, I'm sure. She has been very responsive to the treatment, granted for a while she wasn't and it did look very bad but now, well it seems she has definitely improved."

"I'm very proud of her." Emily smiled, she was happy with how Alison had changed not just physically but mentally too, especially over the last couple of days. It was as though something had triggered inside her and she allowed her body to fight back, needless to say Emily was happy.

"You should be, but you should be proud of yourself too."

"Me? Why? You and the other doctors were the ones that got her here."

"Every person counts Em, but trust me I am very proud of myself." Cece chuckled proudly before heading to the door with Alison's bag. Opening it she gave it to Jacob and told him to wait before closing it swiftly shutting it behind her.

"You never did explain who Jacob was." Emily pointed out casually.

"You know I was thinking about that before, he's Mason's brother in law."

"So why would there be tension between them?"

"It's actually kind of funny, I think they met at the same training program to become a security guard when they were about twenty, they were good friends and then Jacob invited him over for a house warming party I think, for when him and his wife got there first house. They were married young but still married I think. Anyways that's where Mason and Lilly met and well, the rest is pretty self explanatory."

"I didn't even know her name, you know? I never even asked." Emily thought back to the photo Mason had showed her of Lilly and Lauren, she tried to remember Lilly's features and she could instantly see that Lilly was indeed a perfect name for the young woman. "So Jacob basically hooked Lilly and Mason up?"

"Yes, unintentionally. He didn't want them together, it's kind of funny."

"Hilarious." Alison suddenly said as she exited the bathroom and Cece laughed along. "Jacob is still pissed about it and how long has it been? Like ten years?"

"Twelve actually Ma'am." This time it was Mason's turn to surprise them, Emily had grown somewhat accustom to Alison and the others randomly popping up when unexpected, so in turn she had grown used the unanticipated or at least wouldn't be surprised when someone else's voice would randomly present itself.

"Wow twelve years." Alison mused, as though she was trying to recount all the time she had spent with Mason.

"Yes it's a miracle, she stuck with me this long I know." He chuckled. "Shall we go? I want to get out of here so I can't imagine who you feel."

"We shall." Alison reached for Emily's hand for some assistant, walking was still a struggle even three weeks after her surgery, she had a slightly limp because the pain that emanated from the scars of her waist was still evident. She didn't mind though, she was just happy to be getting out of hospital.

"Hold on Killer." Emily smiled, feeling immensely proud that she for once could use the nickname. "You aren't walking all the way down to the car."

"I do believe that is my nickname reserved for you Miss Fields." Alison straightened her back when she realised that Emily was right, she would probably struggle to make it passed the end of the hall.

"Is that so?" The brunette challenged with a smirk.

"Yes, I have copyright and everything." Alison smiled triumphantly before looking over to Cece who rolled her eyes. "What?"

"You guys are so lame, it's adorable."

"Alright you lot, let's get Alison home, we can do the witty banter later." Mason chuckled as he pushed in a wheelchair from outside, neither of them had seen him leave but Emily was grateful for his thought process. Alison sat down without debate and made herself comfortable before reaching for her hand once more.

The drive home was quiet, Cece had remained at the hospital to finish off her shift and Jacob had once again seemed to disappear, though Emily didn't questioned this. She merely sat in the back seat with Alison snuggled into her side and watched the scenery pass by, though she didn't mind Philadelphia she would be happy to not travel there again for a while. It was too busy, too many people, she missed the quiet serenity of Rosewood and when Mason took the exit off the highway she couldn't have been happier to see the 'Welcome to Rosewood' sign waiting patiently to greet them.

"I've missed home." Alison said when Mason took the turn to the lake.

"Me too." Emily looked back at Alison and noticed the blonde had been looking out the window as well. "Hey," She started softly and Alison looked up at her with curious eyes. "Do you still have that motorbike?"

"I do, its gathering dust in the garage but I have it, why?"

"I was thinking I might want to learn." She shrugged, trying not to make a big deal of the conversation.

"Really? Well that bikes too powerful for a beginner but maybe I could buy a good starting one and I can teach you when I'm better? Well, I don't have to buy it, I know what you're like about the whole money thing."

Emily suddenly froze, she still hadn't managed to find the right time to tell Alison about losing her job and even Mason knew this, in fact he had tried several times over the last few weeks to convince her of changing that. It wasn't as though she didn't want to, it was just obvious reasons for not preoccupying Alison's mind. She looked at the rear view mirror and saw Mason looking at her, he had his sunglasses on but she knew his eyes were staring directly into her own.

"Ali..." She began, suddenly very afraid to tell the truth.

"What?' The blonde sensed her behaviour and instantly straightened up, concern evident in her eyes but also curiosity when she noticed Emily and Mason exchange looks.

"I... uh money... is going to be a problem for a while, just for a while." She danced around the topic in her desire to avoid in completely.

"Why Em? What's wrong?" Alison's curiosity was now replaced with full on concern due to the fact that Emily really had been avoiding whatever she was about to tell her.

"I... got fired." The news had sunk into her before she had even lost her job, something inside her knew she was going to lose it but the expression on Alison's face showed that her pure shock was definitely due to the lack of expectation. She had watched Emily work so hard for months and to have lost her job seemed to make no sense what so ever.

"Why?" She spat out without control from her other senses, surprising not only Emily but Mason and Duncan as well.

"I wasn't in the office enough." It wasn't as though she was lying, just not telling the whole truth which was not passed unseen by Alison.

"You did work from home, why were you really fired?"

Emily could tell Alison already knew the answer, she was smart like that, but it didn't make it any easier to tell the truth, in fact it just made things harder. It was as though Alison was torturing her.

"Because people were accusing Mr Campton of favouritism, it became too much and I knew it was coming anyway."

"When?" She questioned plainly.

"About three weeks ago." She tried to shrug the topic off but Alison wasn't having any of it, she quickly looked up at Mason for an explanation but he merely looked away pretending to focus on parking the car in the garage, Emily however hadn't even noticed the fact that they were home. Alison remained silent and it immediately scared Emily that the blonde apparently had nothing to say, until she looked closer and realised Alison's lip was in a firm line, indicating she was holding back her thoughts. Then she suddenly was dreading being alone with the blonde, she didn't want Alison's first moments home to be about this. Mason got out of the car first, followed by Duncan who seemed oblivious to the tension, when the doors shut with a soft thud Emily quickly turned to Alison who was watching Mason get out her bag from the back and Duncan walking up the stairs and inside, probably to check that everything was safe.

"Please don't be mad." Emily pleaded quietly.

"I'm not." Alison mumbled; her eyes still facing the window and Emily had heard that enough times from the blonde to know that she was indeed mad, furious even. Before she had time to defend herself Mason had opened the door, probably saving her from saying something incoherently stupid. He outstretched his hand to assist Alison in getting out of the car but she merely shook her own hand in denial. Emily sighed and got out of the car and walked around to Alison's side, she watched as the blonde struggled but didn't dare to offer help, not with Mason around anyway.

"I'll wait down here." She offered, hoping Mason was willing to cooperate with her, at first he seemed uneasy but when Alison nodded at him he turned and left without a word. When the door closed behind him Alison had finally managed to get out of the car, she slowly shut the door and then leant against it with her arms crossed and her eyes starring directly into Emily's.

"I should have told you, I know, but with everything you were going through... I just couldn't Ali." Emily was quick to defend herself; Alison hadn't even had a chance to open her mouth before she was inches close to her in an attempt to defuse some anger.

"I thought I had asked you to act normal, I told you I'm still me, cancer or no cancer." Alison's voice was so stern it made Emily feel like she was five years old again getting in trouble for taking a cookie out of the jar without asking.

"That's easier said than done Ali, you know that." Emily stood back and crossed her arms, her attitude changing when she realised Alison wasn't willing to understand.

"It was the _one_ thing I asked of you." She said as she looked Emily up and down, observing her behaviour carefully.

"Well that's a lot to ask." She retorted bravely and it was clear Alison wasn't expecting it. "I was trying to be considerate."

"Fuck considerate." Alison mumbled before looking to the side, her eyes catching something that grasped her attention and momentarily distracting her of the fact that she and Emily were meant to be fighting. The brunette followed her eyes and saw what was obviously Alison's bike under its weather protector, the blonde couldn't help but let her body move towards it, as her arm outstretched to take of its pitch black cover she could feel her fingers twitch with a slight excitement. As the cover slid off with a soft tug she took in the bike and its details, its engine, its colour, even the little scratch it got when she went too fast passed a tree and had never had the time to fix. She let her hand fall along its body and slowly move up to the handles, she loved the feeling of it and she loved even more riding along the road, she felt like she was flying, it was an amazing sensation.

"I'll buy you one." She mused, lost in thought and her eyes never left her vehicle.

"No-"

"Don't argue, you worked so hard the least you deserve is a fucking motorbike." The sentence would have been harsh if Alison's tone didn't sound so sad, Emily could hear a quiver in the blonde's voice and it made her feel awful for even considering to argue. She moved away from the car and over to Alison who was now leaning against the bike while playing aimlessly with the accelerator and brake, she slowly let one arm reach for the blonde who still seemed lost in thought and it wasn't until her finger tips made contact that they seemed to drag her from her away.

"Will you show me?" She questioned softly, her voice acting as a white flag to their argument. Alison smiled and nodded before moving out of the way and indicating to Emily to replace her.

"When you get on and off a bike you should go from this side so you don't burn your leg on the exhaust pipe. Obviously it's not hot now but it's a habit to practice." Alison pointed to where she was instructing Emily to enter and exit the bike while also pointing at the large pipe that sat at the back that Emily assumed to be the pipe in question. "You should also hold the brakes too."

"Which one?" Emily questioned when she realised there was two brakes on the bike.

"I use the back, which is this one." Alison pointed and Emily's hand followed. "Now swing your leg over." Alison said happily as she stood back to give Emily room, slowly the brunette held onto both handle bars while squeezing the brake tightly and swung her leg over in one swift movement.

"You're a natural." Alison giggled before closing the distance between them again. "Now this trigger here is the clutch," She said as she pointed to the other trigger Emily wasn't squeezing. "And the gears are here." She continued to point and Emily's head swayed as she followed.

"How do you not get this all mixed up when you're riding?" Emily looked either side of her in confusion while still clutching to the handle bars.

"Practice baby." Alison murmured and she was suddenly mere inches away from Emily, her hands were on the brunette's playing delicately with her knuckles.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Emily whispered after a few moments of silence and enjoying the connection she was feeling with Alison.

"I'm not dwelling, I'm alive and I have you here, you will find another job because I'm assuming that's what you want and you never give up." Emily smiled sheepishly before a bright red blush fell upon her cheeks and her teeth instinctively sucked in her lip to bit it. "Now, give me a fucking kiss before I go completely insane."

"You seemed to have a bit of a sailor's mouth today, Miss DiLaurentis." Emily chuckled as she leaned back from Alison kiss, teasing her.

"Don't deny me kisses Miss Fields, I may be sick but that won't stop me from taking you right here and now." Alison whispered seductively and Emily could feel her heart jump in her chest, even her stomach seemed to do flips at the sound of each syllable leaving the blonde's lips.

"Wh-what?" She stuttered shyly, her cheeks turning an even brighter red.

"You heard me." Alison cooed as her hands clutched to the collar of Emily's shirt. "I've thought about it, you know."

"About what?" Emily felt her vocal chords give way and betray her, she had seen this side of Alison but not in a long time but she'd be lying if she said she didn't like it.

"Taking you on my bike." Alison pulled on her shirt in a swift movement, making Emily's breath hitch in her throat as once again her heart skipped a beat, it was as though Alison could physically feel it and she lived for it, she basked in every movement she made Emily do involuntarily.

"You have?" Emily felt her shyness turn into confidence, regardless of how she may have felt it was Alison who made her feel that way, Alison who didn't want to make anyone else feel like this, just her and that alone made her feel all kinds of amazing.

"Yes Miss Fields, I do." Alison had been the one teasing all along; _she_ had been the one dangling her lips dangerously close to the brunette's without ever making contact while also leaning so incredibly close to her that the only thing to release the tension within Emily was to kiss her. She had this way with timing, she knew when it was the right moment to touch, to speak or to even blink and it would make Emily cave, if she wasn't sitting on the motorbike she was sure her knees would wobble. "But not today." She quickly straightened up taking the air around Emily with her, it seemed to take the brunette ages to regulate her breathing but she had somehow managed to calm herself enough to get off the motorbike without looking like a moron.

"Why not?" She couldn't help but sound very disappointed.

"Because Mason is at the door." Alison pointed towards the door and Emily was mortified to find Mason blushing slightly but he still seemed significantly cooler than she did.

" _Oh my god_." Emily exclaimed before covering her face and huddling into the blonde's side. "I am so sorry Mason."

"Don't be sorry Emily, if it makes you feel any better I do have a child, I'm not a complete stiff."

"Not really the appropriate wording Daniel, but he makes a point Em. You don't need to be embarrassed in front of him." Alison snaked her hand into Emily's and slowly began her way to the door where Mason waited patiently.

"I brought some blankets down from your room so you can sit in front of the television; I figured you didn't want to spend all your time in bed." Mason out stretched his arm so Alison and Emily had passage first, as they began the small ascent of the stairs he locked the car and closed the door behind, being his usual paranoid self which Alison always appreciated.

"Thank you, that was very sweet of you." Alison said when she stopped at the top of the stairs to catch her breath. "Why don't you go home to Lilly and Lauren? I'm sure they're missing you."

Mason paused at the offer as it seemed to really tempt him but the confliction in his eyes was evident, he did not think Duncan was ready to be left on his own but he supposed it was because he would never think anyone would ever do a better job at protecting Alison, other than Emily but that was only because she was the only one who could get away with telling the blonde what to do.

"Daniel, honestly, go home and spend some time with your family. Lauren will be walking before you know it."

"But Alison... I can't leave you here on your first day home."

"I've got Duncan and if I need help I'll call you, does that sound fair?" After a few minutes of contemplation Mason had finally decided to go and while he gave Duncan several instructions that sounded more like warnings he was out the door and gone. Duncan stood in the doorway awkwardly waiting for Alison to give him orders; she smiled and made herself comfortable on the lounge.

"I am okay for now, you'd be surprised how little time Mason actually spends by my side when I'm home. If you wouldn't mind I would like some time alone with Emily, I will call you if I need anything." Duncan nodded and turned to head upstairs to head into the office Mason had showed him when they toured the house, he figured he could busy himself in there until he was beckoned.

Seconds later Emily felt Alison's body hovering above her and her lips dangling dangerously but deliciously close to her own, it was distracting but intoxicating, she didn't know where Alison had found this energy or strength but she wasn't about to question it.

"Kiss me." She whispered the command as her hands began wrapping around the collar of her shirt again. Emily hadn't realised how much she had really wanted the blonde until a few minutes ago in the garage, she had grown somewhat accustom to behaving herself sexually since Alison had been so sick but it was as though the blonde had flicked a switch drastically from 'off' to 'on' in a matter of seconds. Not wanting to deny her anymore than she had already been denied Emily wrapped her arms securely around Alison's hips and pulled her into a tight embrace, she tried to tease and prolong the distance between her lips and the blonde's in an attempt to create some friction. Being successful she could feel Alison shake against her and it caused a small triumphant smile to spread across her lips.

"Are you really denying a cancer patient kisses?" Alison said as she sat back on Emily's lap and folded her arms.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to pull out the cancer card." Emily chuckled but never let go of Alison who began pouting. "You've really perfected that look." She pointed out while slowly raising her lips to the corner of Alison's pouting lips.

"Your teasing makes it easy to pout." Alison sighed into Emily's kiss, trying to avert the brunette's lips to her own with a swift head turn but Emily quickly moved away with a cheeky smile.

"I'm _awful_ , I know." She mused sarcastically. "So how come you can tease me but I can't tease you?"

"Because... I always get what I want." It was obvious by Alison's tone that she didn't have a valid reason but she still sounded dominant in even in her lack of argument.

"Is that so?" Alison hadn't realised in her pouting that Emily had moved her hands around her back and was holding them securely with one hand while the other slowly began a trail up her spine and to her neck.

"Y-yes." She shuttered as Emily's touch gave her a hot shiver, she could feel the hair at the back of her neck stand on end as Emily slowly made her way to her cheek.

"If you always get what you want, then come get it." She challenged seductively and another shiver flew down Alison's back but without another second of hesitation she closed the distance between her and Emily, hoping desperately that the brunette would not move away. She was however rewarded with Emily's sweet lips, in a subconscious reaction she went to touch her but was then reminded that her hands were restrained.

"Let me go." She pleaded but Emily merely chuckled against her lips and delicately let her tongue touch the surface of her bottom lip before quickly retreating her lips to the blonde's neck that was mostly covered with her scarf. She swiftly but gently ridded of the item and continued to kiss and softly suck, continuing to tease the already puffing blonde. "Please. I want to touch you."

Emily didn't deny Alison anything the moment she heard the desperation in her voice, quickly releasing her hold she immediately felt a set of hands fall to the back of her neck encouragingly. "Thank _god_." She said breathlessly as Emily continued to kiss her neck.

"You did always manage to get what you want from me." Emily noted but she was quickly silenced by Alison's frantic lips that devoured hers in a matter of seconds, her hunger for the brunette had increased every second they were together alone, every second she was being dangled in front of her, it was torture but now she had Emily, she had her all to herself and she was ready to take advantage of that.

"I may not be able to take you on my bike today but I think we have been interrupted enough times on this very lounge to warrant me taking you right now." Alison's voice was the perfect combination of sexy and mesmerizing, Emily knew then and there that she would follow the blonde to the ends of the earth forever. She sat back in silence and admired her beautiful blonde, though she was sick, her poor cold head was always covered with a beanie and she was still very much recovering from a very serious battle Emily knew she didn't want anyone else, she knew Alison was going to beat this and that gave the brunette a sense of admiration flow through her when her eyes fell into Alison's.

"I love you so damn much." She whispered so softly she wasn't even sure Alison had heard her, it wasn't until the slight emotion of surprise washed over the blonde's face that she was sure she had been heard.

"I love you too." She replied moments later with her arms wrapping completely around Emily's neck in a gentle cuddle. "Okay, I need to sit down I'm starting to hurt sitting like this."

She slowly moved off Emily, grateful that the brunette's hands were ready to help her back onto the lounge, though just because she wasn't physically up to holding her weight above Emily didn't mean she was ready to stop their actions. Smirking playfully she leant back against the soft lounge and immediately pulled her brunette with her. Spreading her legs so Emily could fit comfortably above her Alison slipped her arms back to their original spot behind the brunette's neck, she liked them there, she felt a sense of security no one else could give her.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" Emily challenged though she didn't make any effort to move, she was teasing more than anything.

"I _am_ resting, see?" Alison motioned to her body that was obviously comfortably lying down on the lounge, her tone playful and accepting of Emily's teasing.

"Touché." She chuckled before leaning down against Alison's neck and began kissing her pulse point, every so often teasing her by sucking or lightly biting. She was rewarded periodically by the angelic sound of Alison moaning, she felt encouraged to continue regardless of how sick the blonde was, how could Emily possibly deny Alison? She was uncontrollably irresistible and if anything else she found it was intoxicating and therefore unable to reject.

"I've missed those lips." Alison moaned into Emily's hair as her head fell up against the brunette's neck. "Those hands and the way they hold me, _god_." She shuttered when Emily's hands continue to venture around her waist, teasing her every so often with the occasional finger tip dipping underneath the fabric of her jumper.

"Do they make you feel good baby?" Emily whispered sweetly never pausing her actions and progressing to the blonde's collar bone as she breathed in every sensation her movements created.

" _You_ make me feel good." She whispered in return, her hands responsively moving to Emily's hair as encouragement, her thighs and legs tensing when Emily's hips softly grinded against her. She had wanted for this for so long, she was so sick of the interruptions and the complications, all she wanted was some time alone with her brunette.

"I love making you feel good Ali." Emily murmured as she continued her grinding motions, they were soft and barely noticeable but still enough to make Alison tense every time their hips moved against each other.

Alison was first to make the next move, her hands moving from Emily's hair to her flannelette shirt, slowly unbuttoning it before separating and letting her eyes roam. The motion gave Emily the courage to move her own hands to Alison's jumper but she was quickly stopped by cold hands.

"Wait." Alison mused, her eyes suddenly cautious, the passion almost gone and instead replaced by a soft shyness.

"What's wrong?" Emily sat up quickly, allowing the blonde space to explain while also startled that she may have hurt her.

"My bandages aren't on anymore..." She looked up at Emily sadly as though the brunette would immediately understand her confusing train of thought. Though it took Emily a few moments to realise what she was referring to she quickly moved the collar of her unbuttoned shirt behind her shoulder to reveal her scar from her shoulder surgery.

"I have scars too." She whispered kindly and Alison looked up at the scar searchingly.

"But... your... scar isn't ugly." Alison looked down at the jumper covered stomach and slowly began fiddling with the fabric.

"Neither is yours."

"You haven't seen them yet." Alison didn't look up but Emily could tell her eyes were full of sadness, she moved her shirt back over her shoulder and sat back on her knees with a sweet smile. Leaning down to the floor she picked up one of the blankets that Mason had prepared from them earlier, it was a warm devut that she immediately liked the feel of; swinging it around her body she moved forwards once more and took her previous position hovering above the blonde.

"Then I won't look at them until you're ready." She smiled genuinely and let the duvet completely fall over their bodies, leaving Alison's head the only part of her not to be covered. "But just remember," The brunette began as she slowly lowered herself down against the shying blonde again, "You are definitely the most beautiful, stunning, amazing, and especially _sexiest_ girl in this entire universe."

Alison had heard these words before, she had people compliment her all the time but to her they were just words. When Emily said these words though, with the tone of utter sincerity and complete honesty, she felt even though it definitely wasn't true she could maybe believe it, even for just a minuscule moment. She didn't feel ugly and scared as she had once felt, though it was rational and human to think those things regardless of the situation you may be in, the sudden urge to be displeased with her body had vanished.

Emily slowly leant down, testing Alison when she understood that the blonde was suddenly lost in a very deep thought. As they kissed it broke Alison from her inner mess of chaos that was her emotions and thoughts and brought her back to the reality that was Emily, the strong woman that held her body with ease above her, the woman that she had met in the bar all those months ago, the woman that she was crazy in love with. Her mind suddenly took control and completely ridded of Emily's unbutton shirt and lost the item somewhere in the duvet, they kissed, hard and passionately. They were lost in each other, lost in the mess of kissing and touching and suddenly Alison's self consciousness and worries didn't matter anymore and she realised her own hand was moving to the zipper of her jumper. She didn't let her mind get distracted by the 'what ifs' that threatened to rid her of her courage, instead she focused on Emily's lips and hands, how they touched her and held her until they stopped and the soft chocolate brown eyes focused on what her hands were doing. "You don't have to baby." Emily's hand stopped her while the other stayed securely at her waist, her finger tip touching the slightest of her skin, convincing her that yes indeed she wanted too.

"I want you to look." It was the truth, she felt as though Emily's eyes would somehow give her the confidence she was craving, the comfort that she needed and above all things the pleasure of being satisfied she didn't know she had been missing.

Emily nodded, understanding immediately without words being spoken, without an explanation or a justification, she just watched with excitement and admiration in anticipation for Alison to slowly reveal herself. When the jumper was completely undone she moved it aside and then moved to her shirt looking up for help when she realised she was about to struggle. Emily sat back to provide space and her assistance, her hands ready to let Alison's shirt join her own somewhere in the sheets and when Alison rose off her back and lifted her arms above her head Emily quickly grabbed the jumper from underneath ready to cover the blonde if she were to change her mind. Lying back down Alison looked up at Emily, ready for the judgment in her eyes though she would never actually expect it she was still subconsciously dreading it may happen.

Emily looked down at Alison, stitches seemed to cover her, it made her stomach curl in pain to see the blonde this way, stretching across the top of her hip line was a long scar where the surgeons had removed the cancer from her uterus, it looked painful but the blonde didn't seem overly bothered thanks to her medication. Leaning down Emily delicately kissed the outer rim of the scar and around its entire surface area but being careful to never once touch the actually mark. Lifting up again Emily directed her gaze to the final scar that was from when they entered Alison's chest to try and rid of the cancer sitting against her ribs, it was however covered by a loose gray crop top that Alison had begun wearing when the scars had began to heal and the bandages were removed, basically when she found the confining support bearable. The very tip of the scar could just barely be seen from the lining of the top of the crop top and hung further out the bottom of her left side, Emily subconsciously felt her hand move to the lining of the fabric in hopes she'd be able to remove it but looked up at Alison for permission anyway. The blonde nodded and inhaled deeply but Emily couldn't figure out if it was because she was mentally preparing herself for pain or for the actual revealing of the scar. When they repeated the process of sitting up and lifting arms they were once again lying down but this time Alison was completely bare from the waist up. Emily spent a long time observing the scar, it didn't seem any bigger than the one on the blonde's waist but it seemed scarier, perhaps it was the fact that it was in her chest, a much scarier concept to fully take in.

"Say something." Alison whispered, her hands quickly going to her chest, ready to defend them.

"Well... you... your... um..." Emily was stuck for a long time, her words caught in her throat, scaring Alison completely. "Your breasts are _amazing_." She finally managed, it wasn't degrading nor was it as a distraction to avoid the fact that Alison had a scar in the middle of her chest, it was the truth and it was exactly what Alison wanted to hear, even though she didn't know that until the actual words had been said.

"Really? But... the scar..." She seemed to find this compliment confusing, how could anything on her body right now be considered amazing?

"Ali... I... I'm not good with words. But damn, you have some sexy breasts." Emily didn't realise how ridiculous she sounded until she saw the smile on Alison's lips, though she sensed the blonde didn't actually care.

"I do?" She questioned, enjoying every moment she was sharing with the brunette who had managed a nod before swallowing deeply.

"Absolutely." She continued to admire Alison's perky breasts; despite the scar they were definitely distracting to the mind. Emily found she had to blink several times to remind herself that she was actually supposed to be comforting the blonde instead of eye-fucking her. "I'm sorry." She stutters when her eyes return to Alison's who are investigating her curiously.

"Don't be, I feel surprisingly great." She giggled before moving her arms up around Emily's neck and pulling her into a chaste kiss. They kissed for a long time, their lips mashing together in a hot mess as Emily's hands began venturing Alison's body again with excitement, they only broke apart to breath but then quickly returned to each other. As time passed Alison could feel a buildup in her stomach, all the fireworks that were being produced from their kissing tormented her as though the tension would somehow beg Emily for more without physically asking. Then, as though her body took control, Alison slowly began grinding up against Emily again, her thighs tensing every time the brunette gently grinded against her centre. She could hear her breathing getting more rapid and significantly shorter and she could feel how quickly she was being turned on, it was the weeks without a release combined with how sexy Emily was, all the while the brunette seemed completely oblivious to her talents even when she was rewarded with the blonde's moans.

"Is this okay?" Emily whispered in her ear as she continued to slowly thrust against her.

"Can't... you tell?" She puffed and moaned in unison and it caused a small smile to press against the skin of her neck where Emily had just been previously kissing and only pausing to take a breath.

"I like when you tell me." The brunette states honestly before her lips returned to Alison's in a frantic scramble of kisses.

"This is... fucking _perfect_." The blonde moans again and Emily can feel her own excitement gather but she doesn't dare to take the attention from Alison for even a single second, today was going to be about her.

"How about this?" She questions as she slowly lowers a hand between them and pressing slightly against the fabric of Alison's pants, causing a shutter to follow.

"Equally as perfect." She replies with a hungry moan and it seems to trigger something inside Emily, causing her thrusts to be harder and faster but still soft enough to not cause any discomfort for the moaning blonde below her.

"I want you, _so_ badly." Alison says breathlessly against her and Emily slowly dips her finger tips underneath the fabric of the blonde's slacks as though her words were a command.

"You have me." She whispers as her fingers tease Alison's centre through her underwear so slowly it causes the blonde to quiver beneath her. It makes her smirk and continue, it's not until Alison's fingers dig into her back and pleads for more that she finally gives in. Hastily she moves aside the blonde's underwear and lets her fingers move smoothly against the wetness that turns her on immediately, Alison shies away into her chest embarrassed that she is so wet but Emily only seems to enjoy it. A hungry groan rumbles deep in her throat as Emily continues to rub her but soon the motion isn't enough, it's as though she's being teased more than anything and Emily senses this. With one finger she slowly enters Alison and watches her react, basking in how her arms and hands tightened around her neck and her legs tense from the sensation and the fact that she is making the blonde feel this way.

"Em..." The blonde moans and it encourages her to enter her with a second finger.

They never stopped kissing, their actions being completely focused on the fact that they hadn't been alone together for what seemed like an eternity, Emily was slowly pumping in and out of her causing a tension to rise deep in the pit of her stomach and she knew any moment Alison was ready for her release, she was ready for it.

"I'm going... to..." She puffed and Emily smiled as they continued to kiss, it was hot and passionate, their tongues weren't doing their usual fight for dominance but instead Alison had become completely submissive to Emily's hand and she couldn't wait to feel the blonde tightened around her. Straying her lips away from Alison's she lead small kisses in a trail down the blonde's neck all the way passed her collar bone and to her breasts, without delay she wrapped her lips around a hardened nipple and flicked her tongue playfully, giving Alison that final edge to push her to an ultimate high. She came hard, harder than either of them expected, she felt her hands wrap into Emily's hair as she called out her name and in that moment she couldn't have cared less if Duncan could hear them from upstairs, hell she couldn't have cared less if all of Rosewood had heard them. She was however silenced by Emily's warm lips against her own, suppressing her moans mostly while still allowing the slightest noises of gratitude to seep through. Moments later when her breathing regulated enough for her eyes to reopen she was happy to see Emily looking down at her proudly.

"You're so incredibly beautiful when you come." She whispered before leaning down for another kiss. Alison blushed but was glad to have Emily completely absorbed in their kissing to even notice, however when her lips strayed to her warm cheeks she knew the brunette had noticed. "Are you blushing Miss DiLaurentis?" Emily giggled as she continued a trail down to Alison's neck, her eyes still not making contact with the blonde's.

"Maybe." She whispered, a moan slipping from her lips when Emily sucked at her pulse point. "Hold on, I'm still recovering." She places her hands against Emily's shoulders gently in an effort to move her away.

"I'm sure you could manage to continue." Emily said playfully but sat up, to give Alison a proper chance to catch her breath.

As some time passed she allowed her hands to skate the surface of Alison's skin, softly massaging her as she recovered and moments later she was rewarded with the blonde's bright blue orbs looking up at her welcomingly. Leaning back down she kissed her passionately and felt her hands make a gentle landing on the blonde's breast, being careful not to cause any discomfort or pain. Alison had subconsciously taken a deep breath in fear that it may hurt but she was surprised the sensation of pleasure spread through her, she felt a moan slip uncontrollably from her lips and Emily seemed to suck it up, enjoying the fact that she was in ecstasy.

A sudden knock at the front door interrupted them, but also causing them both to jump.

"Saved by the bell." Emily chuckled as she stood from the lounge while handing Alison her shirt and jacket so she could get dressed. "Do you know who it is?"

"No, maybe Derek finally learnt how to wait for someone to let him in." She laughed and began dressing herself and then watched Emily stride to the door in a few swift steps, admiring the view as she went.

"Eyes are up here." Emily stated, her tone playful as she turned to ensure the blonde was completely dressed before opening the door.

She didn't bother to check who it was because Duncan wouldn't have buzzed the person through the front gate if he didn't know who they were but the moment she opened the door she regretted it. She had never met these people but their features were instantly identifiable, their light blonde hair, their jaw lines and eye colour were almost the exact replica of Alison. She swallowed deeply and felt her arms tense, she didn't know why but she could feel her defense system activate and she immediately wanted to slam the door in their face but she didn't. She just stood there, her mouth gaping open slightly like a fool and her hair a mess from what had just happened between her and Alison. She didn't even think that she would need to adjust it, especially since she was not expecting Alison _parents_ at her front door.

"Em? Who is-" The blonde had stood and made her way to the door and she was just as surprised as Emily was but her expression was instead pure anger when her eyes fell upon her parents.

"Hello Alison." Her mother said softly.

 **Hey guys I hope you all enjoyed, in the spirit of the show I'm gonna leave you with a mini cliff hanger but not to the degree the promo for episode 10 (might I just add I'm dying for it already). Leave me a review and let me know what you think! As always thanks for reading and for following!  
Have a good night/day wherever you may be :)**

 **-Aemstar**


	23. Chapter 23

_**Chapter Twenty Three**_

Alison stood there with a gapping mouth, her mind racing but her body doing nothing, her lips didn't dare to speak but she was ready to slam the door in their face, the only thing that stopped her was Emily, she wanted to act as civil as she possibly could with her brunette around. It was definitely proving to be difficult when she looked into her parents eyes and only felt the feeling of vile slip into her stomach consume her, why had Duncan let them inside? Did Mason not mention the security process or was he just oblivious, she would definitely be having words with him when she had the chance.

"Can... can we come in?" Jessica questioned bravely and Emily looked over at Alison who twitched slightly, however as the seconds passed and the blonde dropped her shoulders slightly Emily immediately saw her eyes soften. Alison turned away from the door and walked back to the lounge; she sat down and watched Emily shut the door behind her parents. Awkwardly they shuffled into the house, observing every detail they could manage without being caught. Emily sat at her side while Alison's parents slowly made their way to the opposite lounge and before they could speak the blonde was ready.

"What are you doing here?" Her tone is cold, colder than Emily has ever heard it and its terrifying enough to give her shutters and apparently the blonde's parents as well. They look apologetically down at their daughter, their hands squeezing each other for comfort but it seemed none came and instead they both exchanged looks before her mother decided to speak.

"We... wanted to see you." She mumbles shyly, her eyes soft and genuine and her lips quivering in a slight terror.

"You've had four years to do that." Alison's arms are crossed and she's ready to defend, her eyes momentarily look up at Emily half expecting the brunette to have organised this but when she saw the surprised look stained over Emily's face it was evident that was not the case. It was so quiet in the room that the ticking of the clock on the wall was the only sound that filled the empty ear space, Emily would've found it awkward if she wasn't so nervous.

"We're sorry sweetie-" Alison's father goes to speak but he's immediately interrupted by Alison's hands flying in the air to silence him.

" _You_ don't get to call me that, _either_ of you." She can feel tears develop in the corner of her eyes but she doesn't dare show them, she merely reaches for Emily's arm in hopes the contact will give her some confidence to throw her parents out just as they had done to her.

"Alison," Her mother begins, her voice still soft and it almost rips in Alison's ears, "We're sorry, we are here to apologise, we want you to be a part of our lives, we know we don't deserve your forgiveness but we do love you." She watches Alison's hand carefully, curiously observing the desperation Alison seems to have developed in her relationship with Emily.

"You had a very interesting way of showing it Jessica."

Emily sits quietly, watching Alison's parents carefully and they sense this, they sense her eyes judging them which they obviously expected but it was still hard.

"Can we perhaps talk in private Alison?" Alison's father is watching Emily, his eyes moving up and down the brunette just as judgmentally as her own and suddenly Emily looks down at Alison with protesting eyes.

"No Kenneth. Whatever you've got to say, you can say with Emily by my side." Emily relaxes when she feels Alison's hand squeeze her arm slightly; indicating that she indeed was not going anywhere.

"That's fine; we can do that, can't we dear?" Jessica directs up to her husband, her eyes pleading him to give this a chance and he immediately softens.

"Of course." He mutters as he leans back into Alison's lounge with his hand still connected to Jessica's.

"Alison... we know we did something wrong, something very wrong. We shouldn't have thrown you out, we should have held you close and helped you but we didn't and we will never forgive ourselves but now, sweetie," Jessica tests her limits and notices Alison flinch but the blonde doesn't interrupt, "We love you. We want to be a part of your life again, we miss you."

When Jessica finishes Emily looks down at Alison again; her expression is so neutral it almost terrifies her but she could see the faintest of pain in the blonde's eyes however it was pushed away with a single blink in a matter of seconds. She stays silent for a long time, thinking over her mother's words and it's not until she finally turns her head to her father that Emily's certain the blonde is still breathing, she was that still it was hard to believe.

"Have you got nothing to say?" She challenges him and he flinches at the dominance in her voice but he says nothing for a long time.

"You know I've never been good with words Ali." He mumbles childishly because he knows nothing he can say will change his daughters mind about him, she was like her mother that way but it seemed that wasn't going to be good enough.

"That just means all your words mean so much more." Alison's eyes watch her parents carefully, she expects them to stand and leave, deciding that her dominance was too much, that them apologising was too big for their egos but they remained seated and quiet.

"I..." He freezes before looking over to Jessica, his eyes silently pleading her for help but it's not until he leans forward that he realises it's his wife is the one asking for help, she has said what she needed and now it's his turn. "I _am_ sorry. I don't know why I did what I did, you're my baby girl and the moment I threw you out, the moment I said don't ever come back and saw you walk out of the door, I immediately regretted it but I was too proud to beg you to come back. Now... well for a long time you haven't needed me, or your mother. _We_ need you." He takes a deep breath in an attempt to hold back the small tear that welled in his eye and Alison almost froze in surprise. "I am sorry. We both are." He murmurs as he looks once again at Jessica who does have tears in her eyes.

Alison remains quiet, she looks up at Emily who seems stuck, she found Jessica's and Kenneth's apology to be genuine but the blonde looks as though she's not convinced, which she could understand because being thrown out was an unimaginable experience that a teenager should never have to battle, especially one that had just lost a partner and baby.

"I need time." She whispers though her tone is still stern.

By their expressions Emily realised Alison's parents were surprised, either by the fact that the blonde was giving them a chance or because she hadn't forgiven them straight away, she decided to stick with the positive when Jessica's lips turned into a smile.

"Take as long as you need, we will wait." Jessica stands from the lounge, deciding that if they stayed their presence could alter Alison's decision and not for the better. "We are staying in a motel just outside town." She said as Kenneth stood with her, his eyes still sad and clearly wishing he had more time.

Emily looked over at Alison who was looking back at her father but before he had a chance to speak she was slowly standing and bringing Emily with her.

"I will inform Mason of your staying; he will give you a number that you can call should there be an emergency." She sounded distant but Emily could understand why and it seemed so did Jessica and Kenneth, as they headed towards the front door Alison stopped them just before they headed out into the cold. "Is your mobile number still the same?" She was looking at her father because her mother had never decided on getting one, not when she was living at home anyway but she guessed a lot could change in four years, including a number.

"It's still the same." Kenneth nodded slowly, his eyes lifting ever so slightly before Jessica pulled him away, leading him to the grey BMW that was parked in the driveway. The car was new but her fathers taste never changed, the car may have been a bit pricey but it was sheik and stylish and exactly what Kenneth had always insisted upon when cars were the topic.

She closed the front door before her mind would walk back to her memories of her parents when they were good, when they didn't throw her out and when everything seemed to be happy and normal; she knew it was just make her upset. Emily stood behind her, the soft brown orbs very carefully observing her, looking for any signs of an emotion she ironically couldn't identify but tried to anyway.

"Are you okay?" She tries the easy way, obvious questioning with a simple yes or no answer, a simple way to identify whether or not Alison was in any mood to talk or even be around her.

"I've been better." She answers honestly before making her way back to the lounge.

"Do you want to talk about it?" The brunette tries to continue with the topic as she follows, making herself comfortable by Alison's side on the lounge with her hand ready to comfort the blonde.

"I... I just... can't believe... how did you ever forgive me Em? I'm struggling to even _consider_ forgiving them." Alison mumbles guilt obvious in her tone.

"It's different Ali, they're your _parents_ , they shouldn't have done what they did but it doesn't mean they're not sorry. But it definitely doesn't justify what they did. I would be skeptical to forgive them too."

"Yeah but at least they just threw me out, I made you think I didn't love you, I shattered you. I definitely don't deserve your forgiveness if they don't deserve mine." Alison's tone was laced with self-loathing and it was disheartening to Emily's ears, she didn't like how Alison's was looking at herself due to a completely different situation but she could tell there was no way to sway the blonde's mind.

"You can't compare, these experiences are completely different. I'm here with you and there was a reason you left, they don't really have a _reasonable_ explanation for their actions except that they acted irrationally with clouded judgment. But they seemed genuine and apologising is always the starter for forgiveness, so I guess it's up to you Ali. They've thrown all their cards on the table and seem happy to wait until you're ready to make your move."

Alison sighed and leant against Emily's chest as the brunette's arm spawned out around her, she was quiet for a long time but Emily seemed happy to sit and wait.

"I guess I don't have to decide right now." She shrugs a few minutes later before looking up at Emily.

"You have all the time in the world." Emily smiles while stroking her cheek gently.

-X-

"Hey Em I was just wondering-" Hanna entered the room with her usual bubbly tone without an introduction and Emily's head lifted quickly from the side of the bed where she had been sitting watching Alison sleep through her chemotherapy.

" _Shhhhhh_." She whispered loudly at the blonde who took several step backwards in surprise before releasing that Alison was somehow still asleep after her loud entrance.

"Can I talk to you?" She whispered apologetically and Emily sighed. " _Please_." She begged and Emily reluctantly stood moments later, softly kissing Alison on the head she departed the room with her friend who had stopped by earlier that morning for coffee without invitation, not that it bothered Emily or Alison, it was just bad timing. The blonde had stepped outside to call Caleb and must have spent almost fifteen minutes on the phone before Emily decided to check on Alison who had insisted she spend some time with Hanna while she was doing her final treatment of chemo.

"Sorry, I was just checking on her."

"It's okay, how is she doing anyway? I haven't even asked that yet and I've been here for like two hours." She rambled as they walked down the staircase and walked back into the living room to continue whatever bad horror movie that had decided to watch.

"She's okay, the chemo sucks and it throws her around so I... you know." Emily tried to shrug her concerns away but Hanna merely smiled when she pressed play.

"You worry; it's a good thing you know? You can say it."

"So what did you want to talk about?" Emily avoided the topic and Hanna's lip twitched.

"Caleb got offered a job." She sounded disappointed which confused Emily greatly because she knew Caleb had been looking for a job for a long time.

"That's great," She started happily, "Shouldn't you be happy?"

"I am." The blonde paused, only to watch a scary part of the movie and jump. "But, it's in New York."

"I'm failing to see the down side to this?" Emily continues curiously.

"Well, what about you? New York is far from here."

"Han, New York is like a three hour drive, you're not moving to Canada. Caleb has been looking for this opportunity for ages, don't worry about me." Emily looked over at Hanna who still didn't seem convinced by her answer.

"Will you guys stay here?"

"I guess at least until Ali gets better, she likes the solitude and I don't blame her." They fell into silence at the worst of times, they hadn't been paying attention to the plot of the movie but that didn't stop them from jumping when a scary face jumped randomly on the screen, they both giggled before cuddling up against each other for comfort.

"Are you worried about my alcohol problem?" She asks moments later when something in the movie relevant to the question triggered that part of her brain to ask.

"Yeah, but I'm worried other things too."

"Like what?" Emily turns her head that had been lying on Hanna's to give the blonde a curious look.

"Paige. She's been back in town and I don't know why." Hanna shifted at the thought of Paige, if she was to move away she couldn't keep an eye on Emily, she couldn't protect her if something were to happen.

"She won't be a problem Han, Mason is just as protective of me as he is Alison."

"He won't be with you all the time though." She noted and Emily sighed.

" _Don't go, I'll be so dysfunctional without you. Please._ " The brunette groaned sarcastically knowing Hanna was probably after some disappointment in her leaving. "I'll be okay, New York isn't far," She began with a serious tone. "Who knows I might have to start looking for work there or Phillie anyway, since Bill fired me I can't really find anything around here that's not hospitality but for now I have to focus on Ali.

"You're so in love, it's adorable." Hanna giggled before looking at the television only to quickly look away again when a scary part presented itself.

"How many more times are you going to say that before it's gonna get boring?"

"It'll probably never get boring; I can't believe you're dating a celebrity for starters." Hanna laughed before leaning forward to take a sip from her can of Coke.

"What? Is she out of my league? Is that what you're saying?" Emily teased hoping Hanna would feel bad for being so abrupt.

"Well she was voted hottest actress and model like four years in a row, _so_ I'm not saying she's out of your league but I'm certainly thinking it loudly." Hanna replied sarcastically before pulling Emily into a playful hug.

"Very funny." Emily mused with her tongue sticking out.

"It was interesting when she first won that award because she had only just started acting, like no one had heard of her before 'A Night To Remember." Hanna put her finger against her chin as if she was thinking exceptionally hard about the topic and Emily shoved her in hopes it would either distract her or annoy her.

"Even her wiki page doesn't have anything about her before that time and that's weird." The blonde noted and Emily swallowed, she knew why there wasn't much information about Alison on the internet and she wasn't about to tell Hanna anything.

"You know what's weird? The fact that you've looked at her wiki page in the first place."

"It's not actually that weird, as if you didn't." She blurted out proudly.

"No, actually I didn't. I had a little restraint and decided to wait for her to tell me things about herself instead of an internet page that can be easily altered by anyone." Emily sat back and watched as Hanna played with the cap on the can by twisting it around and occasionally flicking it.

"I guess you have a point but still, don't you think it's weird?" She continued and Emily rolled her eyes with a sigh.

"Maybe she just likes her privacy?" It was a question but Hanna merely took it as a statement and let it wash around inside her mind for processing and moments later she finally drew herself back to reality when another jump scare in the movie caused her mind to freeze and loose her train of thought.

"So you do know stuff about who she was before she was famous yeah?" She questioned when she found her words again.

"I do." Emily nodded, pretending to be more interested in the movie then the conversation though Hanna seemed to miss her hints and continued.

"Well? Anything interesting?"

"You know I can't tell you Hanna." Emily groaned, it wasn't that she didn't want to tell Hanna things about Alison but she knew the rules and she understood the moment she entered the relationship with Alison that she was going to miss out of certain things, such as telling her best friend about the girl she was in love with.

"Well that's no fun." The blonde moaned childishly.

"If the internet can't tell you anything what makes you think I can?" She laughed before reaching out for her own can of Coke to take a large and nervous sip; she was never good at keeping secrets from Hanna, mainly because she had never needed too.

"Who am I gonna tell?" Hanna raised her hands up in an unidentifiable gesture and Emily quirked an eyebrow sarcastically. "What?"

"You couldn't keep your mouth shut even if your life depending on it." Hanna went to object but was silenced by Emily tilting her head challenging. "My point being that some things are meant to stay secret, _I_ still don't know things about her and it took me a long time to get where I am. I don't want to ruin that." Hanna smiled softly before putting her hands up again, however this time was in defeat.

"Okay okay, fair enough, it just sucks that I can't talk with you about her; you know do the whole best friend thing." The blonde said innocently and Emily nodded, that was something they could both agree on. Soon they fell into a comfortably silence watching what was left of the awful movie that Emily was sure would give her nightmares, though her mind was distracted. It had never occurred to her that she knew a lot about Alison but there was still so much more. The blonde had done a security check on her the day after they met, which meant she knew everything there was to know about Emily and yet Emily still had so much to learn. It wasn't to say she didn't know anything because she did, she knew about Alison's past and how she became an actress, she knew about her parents, she knew about Luke and she knew about Alison being pregnant. Although it had never occurred to her until now that if certain events hadn't taken place Emily wouldn't be here with Alison, in fact the blonde would probably have a little child running around a completely different house with Luke by her side. Emily wouldn't have been in the picture and it was in that moment the realisation of that had hit her. Her mood fell, she suddenly felt like the choice by default and though she knew it was silly she couldn't help but feel that way.

"You okay?" Hanna's voice came from nowhere and Emily shook her head back into reality.

"Hmm? Oh yes sorry, busy thinking. What movie do you want to watch next?" She quickly looked for the remote to distract her thoughts and was careful to avoid Hanna's curious eyes.

"What about 'Annabelle?'" The blonde was looking at the list of 'recommended for you' on the Netflix screen and Emily rolled her eyes.

"Can we not watch anymore horror movies?" She groaned.

"Oh come on, Annabelle isn't even scary," Hanna began as she snatched the remote from Emily's hold, "Don't be such a baby." Emily twitched slightly at the word and all attempts to distract her mind quickly vanished and her mind became clouded with a sickening emptiness that could only be filled with 'what ifs' that made her stomach twist in discomfort. She didn't pay attention to any of the movie and when it was done Hanna quickly grabbed the remote to look for something different. "See? You didn't jump once, it wasn't even that bad." She turned with a smug smile that quickly changed to a concerning frown when she noticed Emily seemed miles away.

"Hey? Are you sure you're okay?" She questioned softly, feeling bad that she had made her best friend who hated horror movies watch two of them in a row.

"Yeah sorry, I'm just worried about Ali; the chemo should be over soon." She looked down at her watch that indicated less than ten minutes was left of the session if she counted correctly, she knew Cece had been hanging around though but she wasn't sure if at any point the blonde may have ducked out without her knowledge.

"Do you want to check on-" But when she looked behind them she noticed Alison slowly making her way down the grand stair case and Emily turned her head at the sound. "Never mind." She laughed and Emily quickly stood when she saw Alison had already been detached from the chemotherapy machine.

"Hey. Are you alright?" She questioned the dazed blonde, her hands instinctively reaching for her cold cheeks. "Ali?"

"Hmm? Em... Em... sorry I thought... sorry." She rubbed her head as she leaned against Emily from the second last step, the help from the extra height allowed her to sit comfortably into the brunette's shoulder.

"What's wrong baby?" Emily could feel a buildup of worry and concern bubble within her when her eyes looked over Alison's pale body.

"I was looking for..." Her words faded away but Emily moved backwards so she could view the blonde properly.

"Who were you looking for?" She pushed but Alison seemed unresponsive. "Why don't you come sit down?" She offered and the blonde nodded against her. After several long minutes of slow guidance Emily had managed to get Alison on one of the single chairs opposite the lounge where Hanna had been watching silently, her phone at the ready should she need to call anyone at Emily's request moments before.

"Ali?" Emily was kneeling in front of the blonde whose eyes seemed to be focusing on nothing in particular until she was spoken too.

"Yeah?" She stuttered so quietly Emily had to move closer to hear her properly.

"How are you feeling?" Emily asked as she raised her head to Alison's forehead, feeling for a temperature she was surprised to have not the usual cold skin she had been growing accustom too but a hot fever like temperature that instantly worried her.

"I'm... fine." She said while taking deep breaths.

"Where's Cece?" She tried to have the blonde's blue eyes focus on her for more than a few seconds but was never successful.

"I don't know." Alison shrugged as she looked over at Hanna who could also feel her own sense of concern build up.

"How did you get the needle out then?" Emily sat up slightly, her mind baffled as to how Alison could have managed detaching herself alone.

"What needle?" She mumbled and as she raised her arm to rub her tired eyes Emily's eyes caught the sight of red on the blonde's dark grey jacket that she would have missed if she wasn't looking; quickly she reached for Alison's hand but was just as quickly rejected when she pulled her arm away.

"Can you please show me your arm Ali?" She tried softly and Alison looked at her like she had asked the most unreasonable question ever to be asked.

"Why?"

"Because... I've been checking everyone's arm today because... Mason asked me too." She turned to Hanna for help who seemed just as confused as she did. "Hanna, will you show me your arm?" She tried and Hanna stood without a word and presented her arm to Emily who pretended to thoroughly inspect it before looking back to Alison hopefully. "See? Hanna was all good, but may I see yours too Ali?"

"I'm not sick." Alison mumbled as her hand slowly moved over the crease of her elbow protectively.

"I know baby, I've just got to check. Mason's rules. You don't want him mad do you?" The blonde shook her head before slowly releasing her hold on her arm and allowing Emily to lift up the sleeve of her jacket that was now noticeably cover with blood at the elbow. When Emily raised it over the crease of Alison's arm she was met with a small fresh open wound that looked like Alison had created by pulling out the needle of the chemotherapy machine. It wasn't huge but it did look painful so swiftly Emily turned to Hanna with concerned eyes before looking back to Alison.

"Thanks sweetie." She said when she realised the blonde was aching for her arm to be released.

"Am... Am I sick?" Alison's tone was the heart breaking combination of confusion, pain and depression, Emily obviously knew there was something wrong but making the blonde upset wasn't going to make things better.

"No, you've just got a small cut." She tried to keep her voice calm but it was proving to be difficult when Alison looked down at her arm as if the news surprised her. "Would you like me to fix it?" She offered and Alison looked up again, nodding shyly. Standing Emily out stretched her hand and waited for Alison to take it, after several long seconds of confusing looks she finally took it and stood, following Emily into the kitchen where a first aid kit was always at the ready thanks to Mason and Cece. She sat Alison down and gave her a glass of water, Hanna was at her side quickly pretending to help which Alison didn't find out of the ordinary.

"What's wrong with her?" The blonde whispered.

"I'm not sure; can you go find Cece and Mason?" She whispered back before swiftly turning around to give Alison her glass of water. "Here, it might make you feel better."

"I thought you said I wasn't sick?" Alison stuttered nervously and Emily quickly placed the glass aside and closed some distance between them.

"You're not, you're okay. I just thought... never mind. Here, let me fix this little scratch." They spent a few moments in silence, most of which Emily spent looking at the cut or occasionally up at Alison whose eyes barely left the floor.

"Are... are you a friend of Luke's?" Alison whispered softly as Emily finished dressing her wound, and she was so shocked to hear the question that she couldn't help her head snapping up in surprise.

"Luke?" She swallowed deeply, moving away slightly from the blonde when she understood what was happening.

"Yeah... I thought..." The blonde looked down at her elbow in confusion for a long time before finally lifting her eyes to Emily again.

"Is that who you were looking for?" Emily murmured, her heart breaking with each word.

"I... thought... I saw him... He was mad at me."

"When did you see him Ali?" Emily's attempts to remain calm were failing when she felt tears well in her eyes but she still tried her best to hold herself together.

"I was lying in a hospital bed... he said I had to keep going..." Alison seemed to be thinking hard just to function a proper sentence but when she looked into the brunette's breaking brown eyes something seemed familiar about them.

"Alison." Cece's voice came from the doorway, distracting both girls and Emily quickly wiped her tears away when she realised Mason was standing there too.

"Cece! I'm not sick am I? I know you're not a doctor yet but you can tell right?" Alison quickly stood but Cece stopped her from moving any further and sat her back down on the closest bar stool.

"Ali, what year is it?" The older blonde questioned, her tone more curious than concerned which amazed Emily greatly.

"Um... two thousand and twelve?" She hummed before looking around curiously at the others.

"Ali, I need you to understand something okay? You're having a little trouble with remembering things right now and I need you to rest so you can remember those things better. Can you do that for me?"

Alison rubbed her head and looked between everyone, her eyes pausing on Emily's who still had tears threatening to fall but she quickly sniffed them back.

"I can try. I'm not sick though right Ce?"

"Nah, don't stress I think you're a bit tired, I'll put you to bed so you can rest." Cece guided Alison upsets and out of sight, leaving Mason, Hanna and Emily alone with very confused thoughts and even tears slipping down the brunette's cheeks.

"What happened?" Mason was the first to speak, though he figured Emily honestly had no idea.

"She just came down stairs all confused, she knew who I was at first and then..." She couldn't finish her sentence when the overwhelming feeling to cry washed over her, she had never experience something so difficult in her life. Hanna was quickly at her side, holding her comfortingly before looking over at Mason sadly, moments later Cece was back downstairs rubbing her head softly.

"She's okay." She mumbled as Emily wiped away her tears.

"What's wrong with her?"

"It's just a side effect of the chemo, it's called Cognitive problems but most patients and doctors call it 'cancer brain', it happens after intense treatment like this. It's not permanent but it won't just go away either. When she wakes up she'll probably be better again but there will be moments where she won't remember things. It's odd however that her memory has been cut so far back, normally its only a small amount short term memory but the fact that she doesn't remember you or Mason is a little worrying."

"She knew who I was for a while and then it was like a switch and just flicked off." Emily wiped away the tears that were still falling down her cheeks and forced herself to focus on what Cece was telling her rather than the negative.

"It's okay Em, there's nothing wrong with her, sometimes it just happens and we can manage it. She'll be just fine."

"See Em? She's going to be okay." Hanna was rubbing Emily's back comfortingly as she looked between Mason and Cece.

"She didn't know who I was." Emily sighed and with one final wipe her tears were gone though she still desperately wanted to cry she held back to urge too.

"We can talk about it later, I'm going to monitor her sleeping patterns to see if there's anything out of the ordinary, don't go out okay? I'm sure she's going to need you when she wakes up." Cece said sympathetically and Emily nodded in return before she swiftly headed upstairs. Mason looked between Emily and Hanna, his eyes indicating he wanted to ask a question but was holding it back in fear he may be insensitive.

"What's wrong?" Emily finally questioned when she noticed his left leg twitching up and down nervously.

"How much... does Hanna know?" He was asking Emily but his eyes were questioning Hanna as well and the blonde swallowed nervously.

"Mason..." Emily warned though she understood where her was coming from she couldn't help the defense in her voice come through.

"I'm supposed to protect Alison's security and privacy, I can't fail her now Emily."

"I didn't hear much but I can sign a Non- Disclosure Agreement, I'm assuming that's what you're referring too." Hanna spoke up, her tone surprisingly calm and neutral.

"How did you know about the NDA?" Mason turned his head to Emily accusingly, as though she had been the one to tell her best friend.

"Emily didn't tell me, but we both had to sign one when we worked at our old job and you're acting the same way our boss used to when someone who hadn't signed one found out something they shouldn't have."

Emily smirked at Hanna's tone which had changed from neutral to professional in a matter of seconds, it was impressive and kind of funny when it came to the blonde.

"Fine, I would appreciate it if you signed one." Mason relaxed drastically before looking over at Emily apologetically.

"No problem, get me the paper work." Hanna smiled and Mason nodded before disappearing. "So I'm assuming Luke was very important at some stage?"

"I don't feel like talking about it Hanna." Emily's shoulders dropped and her thoughts quickly departed back to the overbearing feeling that she was just a second choice. Hanna watched sadly as Emily tried her best to hold back the tears of emptiness that were consuming her and it made her stomach twist, she didn't like seeing Emily this way. "You don't have to tell me but I will sign that ass of paper work, just for you." She said sweetly, hoping her humor would lighten the mood slightly and with success Emily chuckled before moving into the hug she was offering.

"Thanks Han." She sniffed quietly into Hanna's shoulder.

"It's okay." Hanna didn't know if she was referring to the gratitude or to the situation but regardless she held Emily tightly.

-X-

By the time Mason had printed off a copy of the NDA and Hanna reading it and signing it, almost an hour had passed and after such a emotionally draining day Emily had decided that she was ready to be alone. Hanna understood this.

"Tell Caleb congrats on the job." She said as she gave Hanna a final hug goodbye.

"I will, I'll have to let you know what we're going for living arrangements." Hanna smiled back.

"Yeah, hopefully he won't burn that place down." Emily giggled and Hanna joined her.

"I hope so too."

They said their goodbyes and before Emily knew it Hanna was in the car and driving away, the air was cold but the late afternoon sun was nice against her skin. Moving back inside Emily went to the television to find Netflix playing through a recommended playlist, Mason had disappeared once again and Cece hadn't returned from upstairs, so she decided to leave the movies on to keep her company. However she changed it from the horror selection it seemed to be favouritising and moved over to the first thing genre that didn't make her want to cover her eyes in fear, romantic comedy.

The first on the list and most recommended was 'A Night To Remember' and the photo of Alison and James together on the photo made her stomach sink, it seemed she couldn't get away from her consuming thoughts no matter how hard she tried. Selecting the next movie in line she turned the volume up slightly and walked back into the kitchen, she began pacing only to get frustrated with that and instead cleaned up the mess she had made when she dressed Alison's wound. Opening the top cupboard where Mason had told her the first aid kit normally lived if it wasn't on the bench she was met surprisingly with a bottle of vodka on the opposite self. She felt a lump gather at the back of her throat that she tried to swallow, though she had never been big on vodka the tempting thought to rid of her worries seemed to linger around its label. Taking the slim bottle slowly she sat it on the kitchen island and sat in front of it as if she was waiting for the alcohol to be the one to make the first move, she wanted to drink it, not for its flavour but for the temptation to forget even if it was only until she sobered up again but she didn't move. She didn't open the bottle nor did she even reach out to touch it, she had promised Alison but today Alison didn't even know who she was... in her mind she knew it was irrational and illogical to think that it justified breaking her promise but she scared. She could feel the overwhelming sense to forget sit dangerously within her, she hated it, she wanted it to go away but she didn't dare move. She merely stared at the bottle, her eyes challenging it to disappear without physical help but she knew that was only because she secretly wanted it, she knew she was weak but the longer the bottle sat there without ever being touched proved her to be stronger then she remembered.

It felt like an eternity passed when she suddenly felt arms wrap around her waist making her jump slightly before turning to find who the person may have been because it didn't occur to her that it was of course Alison. The blonde was looking at her, her eyes soft and apologetic but when they turned to the bottle Emily swore she saw relief flash across the bright blue orbs. Before she could speak she was met with Alison's lips against her own in a very chaste and passionate kiss, it was sweet and yet very powerful, she could feel Alison's desperation for clarity and it made her heart jump.

"I'm sorry." The blonde murmured against her lips before pulling away. "That must have been really hard." Emily remained quiet momentarily as her thoughts gathered into a proper sentence.

"I..." She paused and looked down at Alison's hands against her hips. "It wasn't easy." She answered honestly.

"I'm sorry I put you through that."

"You couldn't help it." Emily was being genuine but she still couldn't help feeling lost, she knew Alison was aware of how distant she was being.

"I've never felt so confused before, it was like I woke up and I was sixteen again."

"And you were with Luke." She mumbled sadly but Alison's hold on her only tightened.

"I love _you_." She whispered before moving into Emily's chest. "I love you with all my heart, please know that."

"I'm trying to be understanding Ali, but... that was hard, and I have been thinking about it. I am just a second choice."

"Em... Luke and I, we had our problems. The only reason we did stay together was because of the baby. I never told anyone that because he was a good guy, we just weren't meant to be together." Alison's tone seemed genuine but it didn't ease Emily's doubt with the subject.

"I don't know if I can believe that." She whispered and Alison realised her hold before stepping away.

"What will you believe?" She crossed her arms as Emily faced her, disappointment clear in her eyes when distance was created between them.

"The truth, I know there's something you're not telling me and I know it's about Luke. I just... I have always been so honest with you and have given you every part of me but I feel like I only get a small part of you. It's like I'm just like the rest of them, fans that you have a wall of lies and images to protect the real you from being seen."

Emily stood from the chair and walked away, suddenly very frustrated with the situation unfolding before her. "I don't want that bullshit Ali, why can't I get that beautifully free young woman I met in the bar all those months ago?" She didn't give Alison a chance to respond and headed towards the front door, as she walked out into the surprisingly warm air of Rosewood it was then Emily realised it was already February and that winter was almost gone, so much time had passed and yet she felt like nothing was changing, not productively anyway. She walked towards the fountain in the centre of the many trees that were beginning to grow their leaves again, she was sure when they would fully return the fountain would be completely out of sunlight and she could instantly imagine it. Sitting on the edge of the cold stone statue she sighed and began picking up dead leaves from the ground only to tear them up and throw the pieces into the water. She was envious of the water, it was still, relaxing but she ruined the peace by throwing the leaves in because the ripples in the calm water seemed to give her a sense of power in her time of doubt.

"I did love him." Alison's voice came from behind her and though Emily already knew this it didn't make the words being vocalised any easier. "He was my first Em, at sixteen your first feels like your everything." Alison sat down on the stone beside her but she kept some distance between them in hopes it might calm Emily enough to tell her the truth.

"I grew up a lot over the last few years and this is going to sound bad but I'm sure it would've ended badly anyway. He drank way too much and he wasn't even close to legal age, I didn't want to raise a child in that."

Alison looked down at her hands that were playing with a tiny crack in the stone but she could feel Emily's eyes on her, she could feel their intensity. "Luke was going to leave me, we were only going to tell his parents because I was making him and there was no way I could have a baby on my own."

Emily was quiet, silently shocked by Alison's honesty but happy to finally feel like the blonde truly did trust her. "How did you know he was going to leave you?"

"He was breaking up with me when I told him I was pregnant." She stated so bluntly that Emily was so taken aback she dropped the hand full of leaves she had collected from the ground. "It wasn't exactly the most ideal way to have someone stay with you, but I was a kid."

"Why did you never tell me this?" Emily mumbled as she edged slightly closer to the blonde.

"Because it makes me sound like a psycho, my boyfriend knocked me up, he was going to leave me, so I drove us to his parents place and on the way we crashed and I got him killed, plus our unborn child. It's not exactly a story you tell to someone you actually want to raise a child with." Alison murmured and once again she felt Emily's eyes on her however it wasn't until she played the sentence in her mind again that she realised what she had said.

"What?" Emily stuttered.

"Uh... I mean... I... I want to do those things with you; I want that life with you Em. Obviously not right now but, you know, sometime in the future." Alison was still looking down at her hands shyly but she felt Emily move closer and quickly take her hands.

"Don't be afraid to admit things to me." The brunette said sweetly and she paused momentarily.

"Well that's why the alcohol thing always upset me because I know you're stronger than that. Luke and I had our good times but now, I feel even though he's gone I think I've made peace with him. I said my goodbyes to him in hospital; I thought I saw him you know? After my surgery before you came back from Paris." Emily's hands didn't move but Alison could see the slight quirk of curiosity in the brunette's eyebrow. "I don't know if it was real or not, but he said he was sorry and that I should be happy. I should move on from what happened, I don't know if that's just my guilty conscience or if he actually thinks that but regardless Em, I'm ready to move on from my past, I'm ready to start living with you. I want you to know I love you and nothing will ever change that."

Alison finally looked up at Emily, the fear that Emily would decide that the baggage was too much still lingered but when the brunette closed the distance between them and raised her hands to her cheek her doubts were gone.

"I'm sure Luke was a great guy, James always spoke highly of him, he just made mistakes and it was something no one at sixteen should have to deal with, at least not alone. I'm glad you've made peace with him. If you think he's sorry regardless if he's gone then I'm happy, I just didn't want to feel like even though you're with me now he'll still have a part of you that I would never get."

Alison moved into Emily's outstretched arms and cuddled into her embrace, she was warm against the fresh breeze and it was comforting to know that they had finally started talking about what had happened, instead of ignoring and repressing.

"You don't regret being with me?" Alison whispered into Emily's neck and she quickly felt hands on her shoulder moving her away out of the hold so the brunette could analysis her.

"I could never regret it Alison. I have baggage too remember?" Emily said with a smile.

"I guess we were just meant for each other." Alison smiled in return before moving back into Emily's chest, she felt a light kiss on the top of her head and sighed contently.

"I guess so." Emily chuckled and then stood, releasing her hold on the blonde. "Let's get you inside, I know it's not technically winter anymore but I don't want you getting a cold. That's the last thing we need."

-X-

Alison was pacing nervously, an action Emily had never ever seen her take part in. Usually she was the strong one and Emily was the one to be pacing but for today it was the brunette was the one sitting on the island bench as Alison vigorously paced throughout the kitchen.

"Baby, you're making me dizzy." Emily chuckled and jumped down from the cold bench top, making her way to Alison who had paused only to hear what she had to say and went to continue, she was however stopped by a warm hand. "Everything will be just fine." She said soothingly accompanied by a chaste kiss.

"I've never been nervous like this before." Alison noted quietly against Emily's lips.

"You're allowed to be." She said and sat back on the bench. "You may continue the pacing." She granted but Alison remained still, after a few seconds of thought processing she walked to her brunette and stood between her legs while wrapping her arms around her neck.

"Why are you always so perfect?" She questioned rhetorically.

"I've got good inspiration." Emily smiled cheekily before bringing the blonde into another sweet kiss, moments later a soft knock at the door interrupted them and Alison was so fast out of Emily's embrace the brunette was still adjusting to the emptiness as the blonde went to open the door. She stopped and waited for Emily to join her, the brunette's comforting touch was the key she was after before opening the large wooden door. She was tense but significantly less tense then the last time Jessica and Kenneth stood on her door step, she forced herself to smile rather than have her usual neutral thin line that danced so easily on her lips.

"Hi." She almost whispered and quickly cleared her throat before continuing. "Come in." She offers and then smiled genuinely before walking inside, once again taking in all the details of the home.

"We were so glad to get your call." Jessica began as she waited for Alison to shut the door behind them.

"I'm glad I called." She noted honestly and Emily saw the faintest sign of relief flash across Kenneth's face before he quickly covered it with his smile, he must have been expecting Alison to reject them immediately.

"Why don't you guys come into the dining room? I had some nibblies prepared for when you came and I thought it would be good to chat while we waited for dinner." Alison seemed a lot more eager for this interaction than Emily had once thought, not that it bothered her of course, she was actually delighted to see her beautiful smile so easily with her parents around. She had come to the conclusion already that Alison organising this dinner was an excellent idea.

As they made their way into the dining room Emily tailed behind them remaining quiet and enjoying the small murmur of chatter that had already began between Alison and her mother. When they had made it through the framing that separated the kitchen and the dining room Kenneth turned his head shyly when he realised Emily was behind him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to cut you off." He muttered as he looked down at his feet.

"Oh Mr DiLaurentis it's completely fine, I'm actually just happy to see how well this is going already." Emily didn't know where her confidence had come from, perhaps it was because Kenneth was lacking it but she didn't want him to feel uncomfortable especially since Alison had probably spent the last two hours making sure the dinner was going to be perfect while doing at least five thousands steps from pacing.

"So, my wife tells me your father is in the army." He forces himself to make small talk, his eyes on purposely avoiding Alison as he separated himself from his daughter and wife.

"He is indeed, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Pennsylvania National Guard actually."

"A Lieutenant? Wow, that's quite impressive." Kenneth's shyness quickly turns to genuine interest as he turns his body to fully face Emily and in the corner of her eye she can see Alison smiling warmly before continuing her conversation with Jessica as they sit down at the table.

"He worked very hard for a long time." Emily agrees.

"I can imagine so, it must be hard for you, he must be away a lot." It wasn't really a question but Emily felt her head nodding anyway.

"Just after I graduated high school my parents moved to Texas for his job."

"Why didn't you go with them?" Kenneth asked curiously.

"I... it's a long story." Emily had stayed in Rosewood for Paige, not that she couldn't make her own decisions but she was young and in love, but also partly terrified of leaving Paige, the brunette didn't make it easy.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry." Kenneth retracted quickly, his tone laced with sincerity and Emily couldn't help but smile.

"It's okay." She states simply but before she can continue another knock comes from the door. "I've got it. Would you guys like something to drink?" Emily offers as she turns to head out of the room. Jessica shakes her head politely, as does Alison but when Emily makes eye contact with Kenneth he shyly nods and politely requests a beer if it's available, she nods and departs making her way to the front door.

"Well hello there." Cece says with a large smile.

"Hey, what happened to your keys?" Emily returned the smile and moved into Cece's hug.

"I stupidly left them here the other day." The blonde chuckles while walking inside, her ears twitch as they follow the sound of the chatter in the back room and her eyes quickly snap up in curiosity.

"Do you want a beer?" Emily offers the blonde as they make their way into the kitchen.

"If you're having one, sure." Cece says as she leans against the kitchen bench and waits for Emily to get them their beers, she's mildly surprised when the brunette pulls out a third and remembers that this afternoon they were expecting visitors, and not just any visitors. She straightens up and gratefully takes the beer from Emily. Walking into the next room she is delighted to see Kenneth and Jessica sitting at the dining table, a table that was probably used once before now.

"Do my eyes deceive me or is that my favourite Aunty J.D?" Cece strides into the room with a large smirk as Jessica stands happily and rolls her eyes in unison.

"You will never get over that alcoholic nick name will you?" Jessica laughs as she outstretches her arms to Cece.

"Hey, there is nothing wrong with sharing the same initials as the legendary Jack Daniels." The blond giggles while hugging the taller woman tightly "Uncle Kenny? I almost didn't recognise you, you look so sharp." Cece releases her hold on Jessica and waits for Kenneth to stand; he smiled largely up at her as she outstretches her arms in a demanding gesture.

"I've got many ladies to impress this evening." He laughs shyly and Emily notices Alison giggle before standing and walking to her side.

"Here." Emily says after Kenneth and Cece part while handing him the beer. "I'm only going to have one." She whispers to Alison who's snuggling gently into her side.

"I don't mind." The blonde whispers in return.

"Thank you Emily." Kenneth says gratefully, oblivious to the secret conversation going on between them.

The rest of the evening passed by smoothly, Cece and Alison's parents spoke mostly, which didn't seem to bother Alison or Emily. They seemed happy to sit back and watch, though Alison had wanted this to be about bonding with her parents and trying to begin a process of forgiving them she didn't seem so caught up on the past and what they had done. As they ate and spoke it was becoming clear how much she missed them and how willing she was to forgive them, yes she was still hurt but she had grown up enough to understand that everyone makes mistakes, and some of those mistakes, though they aren't worth forgetting they are worth forgiving. After dinner and dessert they made their way into the living room, Jessica, Cece and Alison were sharing a glass of wine while Kenneth was on his second beer, Emily had decided on a coke but had placed it in a brandy glass to give the illusion that she wasn't completely left out, Alison smiled at her she was proud of her efforts.

"So, Ali dear," Jessica began slightly louder so Kenneth and Emily could hear, causing them to pause their conversation on football. "Tell us how you two met." Emily looked over at Alison curiously and raised an eyebrow before turning her body so she was giving them three girls her undivided attention, Kenneth did the same. "Don't give me that look Alison." Jessica chuckled when Alison twisted her lips in embarrassment.

"Surely you already know, I think the entire country knows." Cece tuned in with a laugh and Kenneth chuckled softly.

"Well I'd much prefer hearing it from my daughter then the news, who knows how much they twisted the story." Jessica continued as if Cece and Alison were being ridiculous.

"Okay fine, but I'm a bad story teller, so Em can tell you." Alison beamed devilishly over at Emily who looked like a deer in headlights.

"Me?" She stuttered shyly and three heads nodded. "Well, she snuck out without her body guard and went to a sleazy bar." She giggled and Alison's mouth gaped open in shock.

"That is not true, that place wasn't _that_ sleazy." She mumbled in horror.

"Hmm I don't know." She joked and Alison stood and made her way over to sit by Emily's side, she took the brunette's hand and chuckled before beginning to tell her parents the story, pausing every few moments as Emily made a comment. Jessica and Kenneth were listening attentively, laughing every so often when either girl made a joke, Jessica thought it was sweet and had made a comment when the story was over, and Kenneth remained quiet but was secretly thinking their first meeting was very romantic. Like he had said before, he was never good with words. Moments passed and they faded back into their own chatter, Cece, Jessica and Kenneth were reminiscing about their holidays in their old holiday house while Emily and Alison sat back and listening. Emily was stroking Alison's hand with her thumb and she noticed the blonde was cold, colder than usual, it worried her.

"Are you okay?" She whispered.

"Yeah, why?" Alison said as she looked away from her parents.

"You're just really cold." Emily noted and Alison looked down at their combined hands and she seemed to quickly notice her temperature too.

"I do feel a bit sick, I think it was the wine, Cece said one glass wouldn't hurt." Cece stopped her conversation when she heard her name and the room went quiet, causing Emily and Alison to pause and look at the three of them.

"You okay?" Cece questioned when she saw the concern on Emily's face.

"Um, I'm just feeling a bit off." Alison murmured honestly and Cece was quickly in front of her, inspecting her temperature with a hand against her forehead.

"It might be a reaction to your last chemo session and the wine; I didn't think it would matter because the last session was almost a week ago." Cece wasn't really making conversation but instead more thinking out loud, Emily felt worried which the blonde sensed immediately.

"She's okay Em, you know what the chemo does. Come have a glass of water." Cece took Alison to the kitchen, leaving Emily alone with Jessica and Kenneth who had been quiet from some time now.

"I'm sure she's okay." Jessica said to break the silence and both Kenneth and Emily nodded quietly in agreement.

"I'm sure she will, she's been up all day and hasn't rested so it could be that. I must have spent half the day trying to convince her to rest." Emily laughed, trying to make light of the conversation.

"So you've been taking care of her?" It was Kenneth that spoke next and Emily was almost surprised at his tone, it was a genuine concern for his daughter a tone that she wasn't expecting from him so soon.

"When Cece's not around, yes of course." Emily smiled proudly; she wouldn't be doing anything else.

"Maybe you should get some rest?" Cece said to Alison as the pair re-entered the room.

"I can wait until later." Alison replied as she looked over at her parents and sat back down.

"No sweetie, listen to Cece, we can come back over tomorrow or something." Jessica offered as she stood, Kenneth following her but his eyes inspecting Alison cautiously; it was obvious he was worried about Alison.

"Your parents are right, you need your rest." Emily said as she took Alison's cold hand again, kissing it gently to provide some comfort.

After almost another five minutes of convincing Alison had finally giving into the pressure and was saying goodbye to her parents, they were standing by the front door when a large headache starting bothering the blonde and she swiftly said her goodbyes and hugged her parents, a step neither of them were expecting but accepted without a second thought. Kenneth and Alison's embrace was long and Emily had quickly caught on that their relationship, though it had ended badly, seemed to be very important to the both of them, she smiled when she saw Alison whisper something in his ear and his lips turned into a large grin.

"I will call you guys tomorrow." She said as she went back to Emily's side and wrapped her arm around the brunette's waist.

"We look forward to it." Jessica smiles largely and Emily notices Kenneth has relaxed immensely since their arrival alone. After saying more goodbyes Jessica turns to leave but Kenneth remains where he is, earning curious looks from both Alison and Emily, Cece had walked off with Jessica as they continued to talk, oblivious to Kenneth's staying behind.  
Kenneth was looking at Emily and Alison had quickly picked up that he wanted to talk to the brunette, she remembered that look from when she was a teenager.

"I'll see you later, Dad." She brings him into another embrace and kisses him on the cheek goodbye before placing her hand on Emily's shoulder supportively as it seemed the brunette had also caught on the Kenneth's silent request.

"I suppose this is the part where you tell me not to hurt your daughter." Emily chuckled lightly when Alison walked back inside and disappeared.

"Well, I suppose that should be the case but given our current situation I think it's a little different." He was now his quiet, shy self again and Emily was already surprised by the direction the conversation was heading. "Emily, I'm thanking you for taking care of Ali. I don't know much about how you met but I know you were there when we weren't. I can't take back what I did and I know she's already starting to forgive us but we definitely don't deserve it that easily."

"Everyone deserves forgiveness, or at least a second chance." Emily smiled sweetly and Kenneth's puppy dog eyes lifted slightly.

"I couldn't have picked a better person to love my daughter." He said softly and he outstretched his hand, taking it Emily smiled while shaking it firmly.

"Thank you, Mr. DiLaurentis." She replied softly.

"It's Ken." They shared a small moment of gratitude before Jessica called him. Moments later they were in the car and driving away and Cece was at Emily's side waving goodbye from the front porch.

"He gave you permission to call him Kenneth didn't he?" Cece said as they turned back inside.

"Ken, actually." Emily murmured as she closed the door behind them and Cece stopped in surprise, her mouth almost dropping against the floor she was that shocked. "What?" Emily questioned shyly.

"I know what he did was wrong, but he's a good guy at the heart and for him to give you permission to call him Ken, is like the biggest thing ever. He didn't even let Luke call him Ken." Cece noted and Emily's eyebrows rose subconsciously in surprise.

"Really?" She almost whispered.

"She's right." Alison's voice came from the lounge in the living room; she was already snuggled up in blankets waiting for Emily to join her.

"I'll leave you two alone; just tell me if you start feeling any worse okay?" Cece disappeared without another word, leaving Emily alone with Alison's curious eyes.

"My parents like you." The blonde noted as Emily sat down beside her, she wasted no time in snuggling up against her. "Thanks for being so amazing."

"Always, Ali." Emily said as she gently kissed Alison's head and moments later without even the slightest sign Alison was asleep.

 _ **Hey guys, I hope you all liked :) I'm thinking about finishing this story up soon so if anyone's got some last minutes suggestions send me a message or just pop a review! Thanks for reading and have an awesome day**_

 _ **-Aemstar**_


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey everyone sorry it's been a while but I hope it's worth it! Enjoy!**

 _ **Chapter Twenty Four**_

Alison had been cooped up inside for days, leaving seemed to be out of the question which she hated, she felt like she was imprisoned and it without a doubt sucked. She wanted to feel the fresh cool air against her skin, to be released from her enclosure, she really wanted to ride her bike but she didn't feel physically well enough, not that Cece or Mason would have allowed her anyway. She understood their concern but she missed her freedom, she had never been one for being held inside almost against her will, she had never been restricted in her abilities or in her lifestyle and she knew by week two she was never going to be used to it.  
"Are you okay?" Emily's voice came from beside her and in turn pulling her from her thoughts. She was sitting in her study, a small note pad lying on her lap, in the plain pad was some drawings that Alison had been almost doodling mindlessly as she looked out the window enviously.  
"Hmm? Oh yeah I'm fine." She mumbled after she closed the notepad and swung her legs off the window seat she had grown a liking too.  
"Okay, you just looked a little... dazed." Emily continued cautiously, catching Alison's attention. "Sort of like you weren't... um..."  
"I'm still here, no cancer brain today darling." Alison didn't need Emily to finish her sentence to understand her train of thought.  
"What's that?" The brunette questioned with a cute smile as she pointed down at the pad, trying to ignore the awkwardness that had filled the air with the topic of cancer lingering.  
"It's nothing... just my drawing pad." She mused after throwing it on the desk across from her, Emily had quickly picked up the item to investigate and was mildly surprised Alison didn't stop her.  
"Can I look?" She questioned softly.  
"Go ahead." Alison returned to looking out the window and watched as the sun desperately tried to heat up the cold Rosewood land, the snow was slowly melting away and dark storm clouds could be seen in the distance which meant by the next morning anything left over would be washed away. Winter was over, though the cold remained in its wake.  
"Ali, these are amazing." Emily said after a few minutes of silent investigating Alison's drawings, most of them were trees or birds but from what she could tell the blonde's theme was based around nature, she focused closely on detail and with each turn of a page Emily could see progression.  
"Thank you." She replied quietly, her mind still outside in the free wind until she felt Emily sit beside her and wrap an arm around her waist.  
"I had a window seat like this in my old house." The brunette pointed out before placing Alison's notepad in front of them and continuing to look at the drawings. Alison turned her head away from the window and leant against the brunette's warm shoulder, feeling immediately better that her girlfriend was by her side again.  
"I like it." She mused and kissed Emily's shoulder. "How was the physio today? He wasn't flirting with you again, was he?" Cece, at Alison's request, had organised a personal therapist to come to her house and assist Emily in her recovery and since she had taken so long to start the therapy in the first place the recovery was set back but Alison didn't mind, she understood why. It also meant Emily hadn't really left the house either, the last time was because she went to help Hanna with packing some of her things. It had become official less than a few days ago, Hanna was moving with Caleb to New York and though Emily had been putting up a tough front Alison knew she was sad to see her best friend leave, even if it was only a few hours' drive away.  
"I don't think he's flirting." Emily chuckled at Alison's readiness to be jealous, despite what the blonde would think.  
"Well, I think he is, he's putting his hands all over you and... _looking_ at you."  
"One, he has to put his hands on me, otherwise there would be no point seeing him, it's his job. And two, since when was it a crime to look at me?" Emily giggled and Alison moved backwards slightly to face her, her eyes serious and her lips twitching in a jealous grimace.  
"It's the _way_ he looks at you." She grumbled childishly.  
"And what way would that be Miss DiLaurentis?" Emily pulled Alison back against her, immediately hating the distance when the blonde had pulled away.  
"Like he wants you."  
"How do you know he looks at me like that?" She had to admit she did like jealous Alison and it wasn't as though she had actually thought for a minute that her therapist _was_ actually looking at her that way but she didn't want to lose this side of the blonde just yet.  
"Because it's how I look at you." Alison whispered, her hands quickly making landing on the notepad that Emily had stopped looking at to pay full attention to their conversation and taking it from her hold. Closing it she threw back on the desk she looked up at Emily once more, the brunette's warm chocolate orbs observing her carefully, assessing whether or not her tone was playful, seductive or mad.  
"Well, I must only see how you look at me, cause you're all I want baby." She had realised the blonde was talking out of doubt, as though she could possibly be attracted to someone else. It was what Alison wanted to hear, she let each syllable sink into her skin comfortingly before standing and making her way to the desk while Emily continued to watch her carefully.  
"Why do you want me?" She leant against the desk and folded her arms, she wasn't angry, she self conscious but this was how she hid it, though she saw instantly by Emily's smirk that hiding was futile. As the brunette stood and walked towards her she felt shivers move up her arms, the way Emily was looking at her made her melt, it made her feel hot and it made her feel a lot better than she had expected.  
"Because, you're smart, talented, old fashioned and yet modern, cleverly witty and funny." Emily took Alison's hands and brought them to her lips, kissing them she looked up at her and watched her self-conscious smile widen and her cheeks flushed a bright red.  
"But... what about me do you like? I mean... you know." Emily had never seen Alison so shy before, it was almost unfamiliar but that didn't mean she didn't accept it straight away.  
Alison's thoughts were everywhere, she wanted to go outside and be free without having to worry about the public or worry about getting sick, but she also wanted to be with Emily, to feel the brunette's hands all over her body and to come undone by those very hands.  
"Like physically?" Emily finished for her and when she finally managed a shy nod she felt Emily's hands move to her waist and push her further into the desk. "Where would you like me to start?" Alison didn't know if it was actually a question but it didn't matter because Emily's hands were distracting against her hips and she was suddenly lost for words, only managing to force a small shrug.  
"Well how about I start from here?" Emily quickly bent to her knees and placed her hands on Alison's legs, that were covered by a baggy pair of slacks she hadn't taken off in what felt like days but Emily didn't seem to care as she raised the fabric slightly and let her hands slip underneath. "You have such long sexy legs, Ali." She whispered as she guided her hands up Alison's legs, stopping at her knees to move her hands out of the slacks when the fabric became too bunch to move any further. Placing her hands on her thigh she watched as Alison twitched at every touch, her body aching for more but waiting patiently for Emily to continue.  
"I absolutely can't get enough of your strong thighs," She began as her hands slowly moved up Alison's body, slowly standing as she went. "I love your hips and that sexy ass of yours, the way you move so elegantly when you walk. Damn, I seriously can't get enough." Emily touched every part of Alison that she mentioned as she worked her way up the blonde's body.  
"You do know I'm wearing the same pair of slacks I've been wearing for about a week now, right?" Alison was trying to suppress the doubt that was laced in her question but Emily could see she was covering up her struggles with humour, it wasn't as though she could help it. Alison's mind was consumed with doubt now that her body had scars, now that her hair was gone, now that she was pale and frail, she constantly questioned how anyone could find her attractive let alone Emily. Emily was amazingly beautiful.  
"I think you look adorable, but I sense adorable isn't what you want to hear." Emily didn't know herself if she had asked a question but when Alison looked away shyly she had received an answer regardless. It was enough to continue her movements, to continue moving her hands up Alison's waist and underneath her shirt, slowly rising the item up her skin as she went and she was quickly surprised when her hands touched a lacey fabric, she didn't know why but she hadn't been expecting it.  
"What's this?" She whispered playfully and continued to smooth over the fabric of Alison's bra with her thumb, causing the blonde to shutter softly.  
"It... it makes me feel good." She replied, her cheeks flushing again.  
"Can I see?" Emily couldn't suppress the excitement of seeing Alison in sexy attire, the idea of the blonde in such things made her mind scramble and her heart race.  
Alison was already happy with the response Emily was displaying, and the brunette hadn't even seen anything yet but she definitely knew how to make a girl feel good. She blushed a deep red before nodding shyly. She waited patiently as Emily slowly rose her shirt up her body and eventually above her head, when she was done and Alison was sitting on the desk with a half exposed midsection Emily stood back slightly to admire her. The bra that Emily had been so excited for did not fail her, it was a push-up that showed off Alison's breasts perfectly, the black colour was slimming and the dark red lace complimented her features ideally, it was impossible for Emily not to stare.  
"Wow." She whispered and a hungry growl of lust hummed deep in her throat. Alison basked in the response, it was as though it filled her with confidence, or at least enough for her blushing to finally settle down. " _Damn_." Emily mumbled as she bit her lip hungrily, Alison giggled and looked down at her body, though she had scars and they were definitely still healing she couldn't have felt more attractive, Emily's admiration for her set butterflies off in her stomach; her doubts were still there but they weren't as strong.  
"You're biting your lip." Alison whispered seductively. "You know what that does to me." Emily quickly released her hold on her lip and quirked an eyebrow. "I'm matching, you know." She almost challenged and the entire atmosphere that was changing around them finally cracked like a sudden flash of lightening in the night sky, it was quick and it was silent but the aftermath was deafening. Alison suddenly felt Emily against her, the brunette's hands on her hips pushing her against the table and pulling into a passionate kiss. It was fast but satisfying and within minutes they were breathless, however unwilling to release each other they continued their scrambles of hot messy kisses. Seconds later Alison felt Emily take complete control and push her back against her desk so she was lying down, pushing the books and papers that had taken refuge there away. Alison moaned at Emily's dominance, it turned her on beyond an unexpected level and cause her to wrap her arms around the brunette's back and lift her legs up against her side, being rewarded with Emily's hands pushing up her slacks again.  
"Emily." She moaned, not worrying about who could hear them, not that it matter anyway.  
"I want to see you." Emily almost growled with desire and her hands were quick to the elastic of the waist band of Alison's slacks, pulling them down swiftly but gently Emily threw them aside and stood up straight. "Stay." She commanded when Alison went to join her but quickly lay back down when she heard the dominance in Emily's tone.  
Moments passed but Emily didn't move, she just looked over Alison's body hungrily and forced her mind to remember every single detail that was the blonde before hastily pulling Alison's legs up around her sides allowing her access to lean down and kiss her again.  
"Oh.. my.. god Em." She huffed as pleasure engulfed her, the thought of Emily being so turned on by her clothing made her own pool of desire form and she was sure the brunette would be able to feel it through her underwear.  
"You're so sexy." Emily whispered into her neck as she trailed kisses down the blonde's cold skin while her hands slowly travelled up her thighs and to her waist, detouring ever so slightly across her centre before continuing her path. Alison exhaled the breath she had been holding when she felt Emily's fingers finally depart from her underwear, she was beyond embarrassed by her arousal and wasn't quite ready for Emily to make a joke about it, not that she would of course but she couldn't help the doubt that sat in the back of her mind. She couldn't understand why she was suddenly so concerned about how turned on she was, if anything Emily was probably secretly enjoying the fact that she was the cause of it. Her cheeks flushed again as Emily hands continued up her waist and to her breasts, causing another moan to slip her lips uncontrollably and moments later the brunette's lips were back on her own, slipping her tongue in for a passionate kiss. Alison submitted to Emily completely the moment a couple of the brunette's fingers went behind her to skillfully undo her bra. Another moan followed as she bra found its way to the ground and Emily didn't hesitate in trailing her lips back down her neck, briefly sucking and nibbling at the blonde's pulse point before moving down to her chest. Her hands gripping possessively but gently to Alison's hips not willing to release their hold as she teased the blonde with a soft flick of her tongue against one of her nipples. Her back arched in response causing more desire to pool between her legs and she knew she wouldn't be able to hold out forever, she needed Emily touching her more.  
"Em..." She moaned as she desperately clawed at Emily's back.  
"Patience." The brunette murmured in return before slowly moving her finger tips back down Alison's body, causing a shutter to strike up her spine in anticipation. Butterflies followed Emily's touch and the moment the brunette's warm hand made their landing at the edge of the lining of Alison's underwear she was immediately ready for anything.  
"I can't wait Em, I need you." She begged between her puffing breath and Emily heard her desperation. It was enough to hastily discard of her lacy lingerie and rub her finger tips against Alison's very wet centre.  
"Oh god Ali, you're so sexy." Her words were full of admiration and her mind was swimming in her own pool of desire, she couldn't get enough of Alison in that moment. Alison wanted to reply but she was so engulfed by Emily's skillful fingers that all words were lost somewhere between her brain and vocal chords. "Can I try something?"  
"Any...anything." She puffed as Emily continued to tease her with her fingers and with the mixed combination of pleasure and desperation in Alison's voice Emily didn't hesitate in moving her lips down the blonde's neck, passed her breast and towards her hips, kissing every inch of skin she touched. She didn't stop however where Alison had expected and the moment the brunette moved her fingers away she gasped in disappointment and sat up slightly with questioning eyes. Emily wasn't looking at her though, her eyes were focused on Alison's centre and then focusing on her inner thigh as she allowed her lips to lightly touch them, teasing the blonde causing her to fall back against the desk in anticipation for more. Emily continued kissing and sucking at Alison's thigh, enjoying the response that was produced as she slowly began making her up the blonde's thigh. She felt Alison gasp and shutter against her as she readied herself for a touch that was unfamiliar to her, Emily was dragging her movements out but the moment her lips lightly touched Alison's clit in an admiring kiss the blonde subconsciously threw her hands into her hair with forceful encouragement. Emily wasted no time after that, she let her tongue slowly flick against Alison, causing her grip to tighten and her breath to shorten. As she played and built up Alison's climax she could hear the gratitude in her voice, her moans were soft and short but sexy beyond anything she could ever imagine.  
"Faster..." The blonde commanded. "Harder, god Em. _Please_." She whispered and moaned and her body was shuttering, Emily looked up and watched Alison struggle for her climax but it didn't come. She brought her fingers back to assist her tongue and slowly dipped one inside the wet blonde, then two. It was the final encouragement Alison needed to push her over the edge and to her climax. Her hands continued to grip at Emily's hair until she went limp on the desk, no longer concerned about how she looked because the brunette made her feel amazing. Emily slowly kissed up the blonde's body and then reached her lips, pausing slightly before the blonde hastily brought her into a passionate kiss.  
"Oh... wow." She puffed after several minutes of recovery. Emily hovered above Alison as she watched the blonde catch her breath as she recovered from her intense orgasm. She felt the usual overwhelming sense of pride wash over her as Alison shuttered at her touch and chuckled when the blonde's hands fell to her side.  
"I didn't realise how badly I needed that." She puffed as she sat up on the desk, leaving her legs open so Emily could stand between them and without a second of hesitation she felt a pair of warm arms wrap around her back pulling her into a gentle embrace.  
"I didn't realise either but that was _super_ hot." Emily whispered into her neck before moving her lips to Alison's. As they kissed she unwrapped the loose black jacket she had grown so fond of and wrapped it around Alison's naked body to keep her warm. "Here" She said as she zipped up the jumper half way and pulled away slightly from the blonde to admire her. "You look beautiful." She looked at Alison and let her soft giggle and bright blush course through her, giving her a sense of fulfillment as the blonde slipped her arms through the sleeves while pulling the long fabric passed her knuckles and then moving to the edge of the desk. Alison looked adorable in the jacket, the item was so large on her however that it sat half way up her thighs and the sleeves were long enough she could hold onto hand holes as they bunched up with ease in her hands.  
"All I'm wearing is a jumper and a beanie." Alison shied away slightly before Emily quickly took her hands and held them softly.  
" _Beautiful_." She repeated and Alison smiled before moving into her warm embrace.

-x-

"So when will you be back?" Alison asked as Emily threw her phone into her clutch and clipped it shut.  
"Later, I think Hanna wants to turn dinner into going out drinking." Emily had this discussion at least five times with Alison that day alone and she hadn't quite figured out how she had managed to convince the blonde to allow her to go out in the first place until it suddenly clicked in her head. "You're not having Mason follow me around tonight, are you?"  
" _No_." Alison almost squeaked defensively, causing one of Emily's eyebrows to quirk sub consciously. "Okay fine, I don't know how long I was planning on lying anyway, you usually pick up on this stuff way too quickly. Duncan is going to be nearby."  
"Ali..." She wanted to insist that Duncan wasn't necessary but she knew that would have been a lie and considering this was going to be the first time in what seemed like forever she was going to be in public without Alison or her security and the thought did make her feel uneasy.  
"I'm only making him watch out for you in case other celebrities might be hovering around dark bars to get their hands on you." Alison giggled as she watched the brunette who had been looking herself up and down in the mirror out of doubt, only being distracted by her comment and was forced to turn and give Alison a sarcastically quizzical look.  
"I'd say what are the chances of that but... well yeah." She turned back around and adjusted her black cardigan that hung around her light blue dress, it was tight and slimming, very complimentary to her chest and hips and she was sure she had seen Alison looking more than once.  
"I don't think you realise how beautiful you are Em." Alison noted from the bed, she had been sitting cross-legged for some time as she watched Emily ready herself for the evening and had noticed quite quickly that this was the first time she had seen the brunette in a dress and it was obvious it wasn't a common occurrence.  
"It depends on what you compare me too." Emily stated basically, her shoulders dropping slightly when she noticed Alison staring at her.  
"Well what are you comparing yourself to in order for that doubt I see so clearly seeping into those beautiful eyes?" She stood from the bed and made her way behind Emily, placing her hands comfortingly against her shoulder blades but before the brunette could reply there was a soft knock at the door, she sighed before dropping her hands and turning.  
"Yes?" She called and the door opened, Duncan looked shyly up and Emily wanted to laugh but she suppressed the urge.  
"Excuse me Ma'am," He directed to Alison and she nodded lightly before linking her fingers in Emily's. "I just wanted to let you know that I am ready to leave whenever you are."  
"Perfect, thank you Duncan, will you please go get the Ferrari ready?" Alison ordered and she watched as his shy face lit up at her words.  
"Yes Ma'am." He said a little bit too excitedly before turning and heading down the hall.  
"I think you just made his day." Emily chuckled as she squeezed Alison's hand.  
"Mason is the exact same way, I remember the first time I let him drive it without me, I couldn't have ripped that smile off his face even if I tried." They walked down the hallway and down the stairs. Emily had been quiet for most of the day but Alison sensed this was because she was nervous about going out and it wasn't that she wasn't but she had faith in Duncan to do his job. As they walked outside Duncan was ready with the car at the bottom of the stairs and was holding the door open for Emily.  
"Come here." Alison said and she pulled Emily into a loving kiss before breaking it to hug her. "If you're uncomfortable, or don't feel safe in anyway, please say something to Duncan or call me, don't push your limits okay?"  
"Okay." Emily nodded, understanding that the blonde was referring to the alcohol that she was no doubt going to be surrounded by that evening.  
"Have some fun okay? Everyone's allowed to let loose every now and then."  
"I don't have to drink Ali." Emily mumbled while looking down at their still entwined fingers.  
"I feel like Hanna won't allow that tonight, besides you have a great sense of control and I have faith in you. You just go out and have fun with your friends."  
"It's hard to have fun without you." Emily noted shyly.  
"I'll be here having my own fun." She winked and Emily's heart skipped a beat, it wasn't until she was brought closer to the blonde that she felt her heart in her throat. "I'll be thinking about you all night." Her words were so quiet that Duncan, who was listening to his earphones like always so he couldn't hear their conversation, bumped slightly up and down to the beat.  
"Don't worry about him," Alison began when she saw Emily's eyes dart to her peripherals in shock, hoping Duncan hadn't heard them. "He can't hear, I promise. Those earphones don't come out until he's needed and even then I've noticed he works quite well with music playing so I allowed him to listen when it's appropriate."  
"That's very generous of you." Emily replied and she looked behind her to see Duncan still bumping up and down, he smiled before quickly taking one of the earphones out and turning to Alison.  
"Did I miss something Ma'am?" He stuttered quickly, his tone slightly horrified.  
"No Duncan, you're fine, back to your dancing." Alison smiled and Duncan chuckled before hastily putting the earphone back in his ear and continuing to be oblivious to their conversation. "Now, get that gorgeous body into that car, and be sure to take your time as you do." Alison let her hand sneak around Emily's back and squeeze her arse before kissing her lips swiftly and giggling when the brunette turned a bright red.  
"I'll miss you." Emily whispered and Alison's seductive smirk turned into a soft smile.  
"I'll miss you too. Now go!" She almost pushed Emily into the car, being sure to get a good view of her beautiful brunette as she moved. "Seatbelt." She commanded before Emily shut the door.  
"Yes Ma'am." Emily giggled and she pulled the door shut, being sure to do her seatbelt up before doing so.  
Alison looked over at Duncan who was waiting for his own command and Alison quickly nodded her head over to the side, indicating that he should leave his spot beside the Ferrari by the driver's door and follow her. Taking his earphones out he was quick to Alison's side that was a few metres away from the car.  
"Yes Ma'am?" He questioned politely as he put his hands in their usual position behind his back.  
"You must take care of her tonight, do you understand me?" Her tone was serious and full of warning and she could sense how serious her face was by the expression on Duncan's.  
"Yes Ma'am, of course." His voice didn't fault but she could sense his understanding on how serious she was being which was what her tone was intending.  
"I know about you getting that nurses number when we were at the hospital," She began and Duncan's face quickly dropped. "Don't worry, you're allowed to have some fun but please not tonight, if this was me and I had Duncan by my side then I wouldn't be concerned but this is just you tonight and you need to prove yourself."  
"I apologise Miss DiLaurentis, for the hospital thing." He cleared his throat and Alison looked behind him to look at the car where she was sure Emily was watching curiously at their conversation.  
"Don't apologise but please don't do it while you're working again, okay?" He nodded and swallowed, afraid that she was not finished with lecturing him, not that he didn't deserve it but he was terrified never the less.  
"Of course Ma'am, no problem."  
"I want Emily safe, now that being said I trust your judgment; I wouldn't have hired you if I didn't. If you think something is wrong or out of the ordinary in any way you pull her out of there, do you understand?"  
"I understand." He nodded.  
"Please, keep her safe." Her tone was significantly softer and Duncan immediately understood that he was definitely not to push the boundaries tonight.  
"I will Miss DiLaurentis."  
"Good, here's some cash for tonight," She pulled money from her pocket and handed it to him. "And if you're going to be blend into a crowd you're going to have to be a little more casual then this." She motioned to his up-right posture and arms as he took the money from her.  
"Right... casual, I can do that." He laughed and undid the first button of his dress shirt, he looked no older than twenty five when he dressed like this which was what Alison wanted, she figured the less security attention, the less media attention.  
"Thank you, now I'm sure she's going to be late so you'd better go. Park the car in the alley Mason showed you earlier today, it's close to the restaurant and out of sight."  
"Got it, thanks Ma'am" Duncan headed back around the car and opened the door before sliding in excitedly, obviously extremely keen to drive the Ferrari.  
"Ready Miss Fields?" He smiled as he put the key in the ignition.  
"Ew, really?" She stuck up her nose at his formality before looking over at Alison who was waving blindly at the tinted windows. Winding it down Emily stuck her arm out the window as Duncan drove away to wave goodbye.  
"Sorry, my formality only ever comes out when I talk to Alison."  
"I've noticed that actually." Emily noted as she put the window back up.  
"Well, she does kind of need maturity and the fact that she hired me still amazes me." He chuckled as he revved the car a little too much. "Don't tell her I did that, I'm not used to so much power." He twitched his lip before slowing down and making his way into Rosewood.  
"So why did she give you money?" Emily asked, her eyes out the window watching the trees flash by in the early evening sky.  
"Well, she wants me to keep up the image that I'm not with you and your friends, so I guess it's so I can buy drinks or food. I probably won't though, I can never use the money she gives me." He looked at the road attentively, Alison's warnings had really warn off on him and now he so alert he was sure he'd see anything wrong come his way.  
"You'll get over that, apparently Mason used to be the same but he said he kind of just got used to Alison insisting."  
"I'll keep that in mind." He chuckled.

-x-

Dinner passed by peacefully, Spencer had managed to book a private table at one of the fanciest restaurants in Rosewood, Emily couldn't pronounce the name but she had figured it must have been classy considering it was French. Aria and Spencer had made their way down from Phillie to come celebrate the fact that Hanna and Caleb were moving, and that Hanna had managed to find a job in the space of less than two weeks.  
Caleb, Toby and Ezra had been talking nonstop about work since they had arrived, Toby's business had been booming and Ezra had just been signed a book publishing deal with a Philadelphia publisher. Caleb was just happy to be getting out of his old job but he couldn't actually reveal any details about his new one due to his new contract which lead everyone to believe it must have been very important. Emily had been watching everyone quietly, her thoughts had been lost in the fact that she was the only left in Rosewood, with her parents gone and now all her friends she was just thankful she had Alison but the thought of leaving Rosewood behind seemed terrifying. She looked behind to find Duncan looking up from his newspaper and his dinner across the room, the room itself only had a few other tables and no one seemed interested in anyone's business but their own which pleased Emily greatly. She chuckled, pulled out her phone and quickly sent a message to Duncan who looked up at her curiously when he saw her name on his screen but swiped his phone open to read it anyway.

 _A newspaper at dinner hey? How subtle of you_

He laughed before folding the newspaper and taking a sip of his drink before redirecting his attention to his phone.

 _Subtly is my middle name now stop looking at your phone I'm trying to concentrate_

Emily laughed and put her phone back in her clutch and looked back up at everyone who seemed oblivious to her private conversation.  
"Well, I think we should ditch this fancy place and get wasted." Hanna clapped her hands together loudly grabbing everyone's attention before quickly sculling the rest of her wine. After they spent almost five minutes fighting over who was going to pay they finally came to the conclusion that they would split the bill, everyone was insisting on paying because it was a celebration present but Hanna merely told them to shut up before reaching their final conclusion.  
They were walking for about ten minutes when they came across a small club, Emily could hear the music from outside as they waited in line and it was then she realised which club they were actually about to enter.  
"Look familiar?" Hanna was suddenly at her side with the arms linked tightly and Emily thought briefly that the place was overly crowded only to realise it was a Saturday night.  
"Why this place?" Emily asked, knowing all too well that Hanna had no doubt had chosen this place to make a joke.  
"I'm hoping I can meet some more celebrities." She giggled as she gave the security guard her I.D and waited for him to look over her age before returning it. "Only joking, this place is great though. Plus we can make a little tradition of it, the last time we were here we were all together." Hanna pulled Aria and Spencer away from their partners and pulled them into a quick group hug before entering the club, Caleb on her tail, and Emily laughed when she noticed he was trying to slow the blonde down until everyone else was inside.  
The boys had disappeared into the bar to grab a drink and continue talking where they could be heard while Hanna pulled Spencer, Aria and Emily onto the dance floor which was full of already drunk and very sweaty people. As the music pulsed in her ears and people grinded up against her Emily was hoping she Duncan was nearby not that she would have any hope of finding him but she was sure he was watching her attentively.  
She didn't know how much time had passed but given her feet were aching in her heels she had figured it was long enough to warrant getting a drink and some fresh air, she had never been a big fan of the clubbing scene. She told her friends she would be back and they nodded in time with the music, sliding her way out of the crowd which seemed oblivious to her existence she was bumped and grinded up against countless amount of times before she felt the sea of people thin out.  
"Hi there." A taller dark haired boy said as he leaned up against the bar beside her, his smile unappealing but she smiled politely back anyway.  
"Hi." She cleared her throat and looked away, hoping the waitress behind the bar would hurry up and serve her already.  
"Can I get you a drink?"  
"No, thanks though." She leaned across the bar and gave her order to the young girl who was quick to her rescue. "Double whiskey and coke thanks."  
"No problem Hun." The girl turned away and began making her drink and just when Emily thought the guy beside her had given up he moved closer.  
"Double hey? Impressive." He chuckled as he sipped at his drink.  
"Thanks." Emily forced, she didn't know why but she felt uncomfortable, which wasn't necessarily fair on the young man, considering he hadn't actually done anything to say otherwise.  
"You sure I can't buy it for you?"  
"No really that's fine, I should get back to my friends." Emily took the drink from the waitress and pulled a bill out of her clutch. "Keep the change." She didn't even look at how big the bill was but considering this guy didn't seem to be catching the hint she was no longer interesting in her change.  
"Oh come on baby," The guy stood in Emily's way as she tried to walk around him and suddenly she was losing her patience, no one called her that, except Alison. "We can have some fun."  
" _Trust me_ , you are not the kind of fun I'm looking for. So once again, thank you but no thank you." She tried to walk away again but he merely grabbed her wrist causing her to drop her drink and it was then she was thankful the girl at the bar had given her a plastic cup.  
"Em! You okay?" Hanna was suddenly at Emily's side and she had never been more thankful to see her best friend.  
"Well hey there gorgeous." The guy chimed happily and Hanna raised her eyebrows in half horror and surprise.  
"Okay, first of all, _no_ and I'm sure my friend here has said no at least twice so you need to turn around before I open a can of whoop-ass on you." Hanna's tone was so sassy Emily had to suppress the laugh she didn't know she had been holding back.  
"Freaks." He grumbled as he looked between them and walked away. Emily felt her body relax and she clutched to Hanna's side before looking at the girl at the bar who was looking at them apologetically.  
"I'm sorry about the mess." Emily made her way to bar to get herself another drink, after all that commotion she needed one.  
"Oh don't be sorry, he was an ass, would you like another one?" She girl was beyond sweet which was exactly what Emily needed and as she went into her clutch to pull out some more money the girl threw her hand up and smiled. "This one on the house, considering you did give me a bill big enough to buy at least two of these."  
"Are you sure?" Emily questioned as she half closed her purse.  
"Of course."  
By the time Emily had gotten her drink and turned back to Hanna she was sure the blonde was already a little more drunk then she expected. She was going to questioned the blonde but decided not to bother as she got pulled back towards the dance floor.  
"Han wait I've got a drink." She complained childishly.  
"Oh goodness Emily, scull that shit and come back to us, we're in the middle." Hanna disappeared before Emily could answer but she figured an answer was not required. She leant against the closest wall and watched the people around her, most were drunk or too engrossed in their own conversations to notice her, which she liked immensely because she had grown so tired of being gawked at.  
The air inside the club was hot and sticky, very unappealing to many senses and Emily suddenly felt claustrophobic. She missed Alison, she missed the security the blonde gave her. Deciding that she would get some fresh air she pulled out her phone and snuck away to the alleyway exit that she and Alison had snuck out over ten months ago. This time rain didn't seem to threaten the night sky, yet the smell of fresh rain could be smelt from the concrete alley and Emily could see the slightest amount of snow under some dumpsters that was slowly being washed away. The booming of the music inside still seemed to fill her ears even with the heavy metal door shut behind her but she didn't mind, having some noise was somewhat comforting because it made her feel like she wasn't completely lone. Pulling out her phone she dialed Alison's number and waited patiently for the blonde to answer, which after the sixth ring she didn't think would happen.  
"Hello?" Alison grumbled on the other end, obviously still half asleep.  
"Hey baby." Emily smiled, feeling slightly guilty for waking the blonde up but happy to her voice.  
"Em? Are you okay?" Alison sat up so quickly from the lounge where she had fallen asleep to a movie marathon of the Harry Potter series that the remote fell to the ground, which Emily heard.  
"I'm fine, I just went outside to get some air and I wanted to hear your voice." Emily hiccupped and it made her grow acutely aware on how much she actually had to drink, though she didn't realise until she thought back to dinner.  
"Having fun gorgeous girl?" Alison giggled at Emily's slightly slurs.  
"It's okay, we're at Club Carter." She laughed, somewhat excited for Alison's reaction.  
"Club Carter hey? Wish I was there, we could reenact how we met and then take it home." Alison's voice was low and seductive causing Emily's heart to skip a beat and a large lump form in the back of her throat, she wanted to be home with Alison now.  
"I miss you, I just wish I was home with you already." Emily said honestly and Alison paused, she had never actually heard Emily call her house home, it was nice, she liked how it made her feel but she decided not to say anything until Emily was back in her arms.  
"I miss you too." She smiled into the phone. "Don't have too much to drink tonight, I want you focusing when you get back to me."  
"Yes Ma'am." Emily giggled. "I should probably go, I said I was going to be rejoining them like ten minutes ago."  
"Alright, you have fun. See you when you get home."  
"See you later." Emily waited for Alison to hang up before putting her phone back in her pocket, as she turned around to head back inside a figure hiding in the shadows startled her but curiosity got the best of her when she realised this person had actually been listening to her conversation.  
"Hello?" She grumbled, her tone unimpressed by the fact that this person didn't seem to mind that they were caught.  
"Hello Emily." Paige emerged from the shadows and Emily immediately felt her stomach drop and an even thicker lump in her throat developed. She wasn't in the mood to deal with Paige but the moment she tried to escape back through the heavy metal door to the club Paige subtly blocked her path. "How have you been? We never caught up like you said."  
"Actually _you_ said we should catch up, I just kind of stood there silently." Emily wasn't quite sure where her confident sarcasm had come from but she wasn't sure it was smart to be talking to Paige the way she was, considering the brunette did always have a short fuse.  
"Hmm, well, how have you been?"  
"Um, good, I should get back. The girls are probably looking for me." She tried to shift passed the brunette but she didn't budge, she merely looked down at Emily challengingly before straightening her back.  
"Can we not have a conversation without you running away from me?" She noted, her tone neutral and surprisingly not dominating, it was confusing for Emily and her drunk mind.  
"I'm not running away, I just don't want the girls to worry." Emily tried to remain calm but Paige always seemed to bring out her scared side and she could never seem to stand up for herself.  
"How much did you tell them?" Paige suddenly asked, her demeanor changing completely, though she wasn't quite mad she definitely wasn't being delightful either.  
"Tell who? And tell them what?" Emily raised an eyebrow curiously, she had no idea what Paige was talking about.  
"Your friends, and your slut of a girlfriend about our relationship." Paige smiled at her condescendingly before crossing her arms and moving towards her, backing her away from the door and her escape. She looked up and down the alley, she could've probably made a run for it in either direction but she knew one way was blocked off and she couldn't tell which way that was in the darkness.  
"Her name is Alison." She felt her teeth grit at Paige's bitterness but tried her best to calm herself down.  
"Sorry, her names easily forgotten." Paige chuckled at Emily's change in behaviour.  
"You and I both know that's not true, I bet you think about her every day. Think about the fact that she has me now and you lost me." She stood back slowly as Paige made efforts to move closer.  
"Why don't you come back to me? I can treat you much better than she ever could, considering she probably won't even be around for much longer." Paige's tone was confusingly neutral again and made Emily want to scream but she merely clenched her fist and continued to grind her teeth.  
"Back off Paige." She mumbled deeply, her throat almost growling with fury at the brunette who looked back at her as though she were innocent.  
"We both know you'll come crawling back." Paige was suddenly within inches of Emily and she instantly cringed at it, she was suddenly wondering where Duncan was, she hadn't seen him since dinner and she was really hoping he would figure out her absence was definitely unwanted.  
"No Paige, I won't. Not ever." Emily finally straightened her back and placed her hands on Paige's shoulders, gently pushing her away she quickly passed her and tried to escape back inside, only to feel a harsh grip on her wrist. A sudden force twisted her back around, causing a sharp pain to shoot up in her still recovering shoulder but before she could yelp in pain she felt Paige push her against the wall of the alley and kiss her roughly. She tried to push the brunette away but with the combination of the tug and push against her shoulder she felt too much pain to show any real affect.  
"Paige..." She grunted desperately. "Stop." But Paige ignored her and continued to press their lips harshly together while one of her hands moved up against her neck and the other moving to her waist, holding her in place. Emily's eyes shut in terror, she didn't want Paige to have this control on her anymore, she didn't want to be scared to fight back and suddenly not wanting it was enough to flash her eyes open and a strength within her to fly to her surface. Pushing Paige away she quickly wiped her lips and tried to walk back to the door of club, only to have Paige pull at her arm again and try for another forceful kiss. The loud banging of the heavy metal door hitting the wall as it opened echoed in Emily's ears as she continued to try and push Paige away, this time however her arm was hurting too much to be successful. Suddenly Paige was pulled away and Emily looked up to find Duncan quickly standing between her and the brunette.  
"It's time for you to leave." He growled protectively at Paige and she backed away slightly, he didn't look away from her however until she finally turned away with a triumphant smirk before disappearing into the shadows. Emily felt her body relax immediately as Duncan faced her his relieved eyes gave her a sense of relief and she didn't know what washed over her but she felt her arms wrap around him for a comforting hug.  
"Emily I'm so sorry. Are you okay? Did she hurt you?" He was quick to inspect her and now that the commotion was over and the adrenaline was leaving her system Emily could feel her a part of her shoulder pulse incessantly.  
"My shoulder... It really hurts." Her voice was laced with panic when she realised it was her surgery shoulder.  
"It's okay, we'll take you back to the house and Ms Drake can look at it." He quickly took out his phone and tapped a speedy message while Emily held up her arm with her uninjured one because her shoulder was not up to the task. "Come on, I need to get you back."  
"What about my friends?" Emily questioned though she didn't actually stop Duncan from guiding her back to the car.  
"Tell them you're sick for now but, if Miss DiLaurentis permits it, you can tell them the truth tomorrow." Duncan seemed distracted though was somehow remaining professional as he checked the streets for any trouble, when they finally made it back to the alley where the Ferrari remained hidden he quickly got Emily inside and drove away.  
"Are you okay?" She asked when she noticed Duncan was shaking slightly.  
"Yeah, I'm fine Miss." It was obvious he was lying and usually Emily wouldn't have forced any further communication but with some alcohol still left in her system she felt slightly more confident.  
"What's wrong?" She questioned softly as she rubbed her aching shoulder.  
"I should have been watching you closer, I lost sight of you for a minute and then suddenly you were gone. No wonder Miss DiLaurentis is always worried about you, you're so evasive."  
"I don't mean to be." Emily grumbled shyly. "I'm not used to making it easy for certain people to watch me."  
"I tried calling you but your phone was engaged and then you wouldn't answer after I finally got through." It wasn't a criticism but Emily could hear the frustration in Duncan's voice, but she sensed it was more aimed at himself then her. Looking down at her phone she saw seven missed calls from Duncan and she swallowed the large lump in her throat that hadn't left since she first laid eyes on Paige. Guilt engulfed her entire body.  
"I'm sorry but it wasn't your fault that you couldn't find me."  
"It's my fault you're injured, I should have been by your side the moment you went outside." His grip tightened around the steering wheel but Emily still felt safe, she could tell Duncan was internally punishing himself for his "failure". "I'm very fired." He murmured as he drove, his driving safe and impressive as always.  
"No you're not, I won't let her fire you." Emily didn't know if it was the alcohol speaking or if she was speaking honestly without a clouded judgment but regardless she wasn't going to let Paige get Duncan fired.  
"Respectfully Emily, you won't be able to stop her." Duncan looked straight out the windshield and didn't speak again. The drive was slower than Emily expected but she sensed that was because Duncan was subconsciously dreading what awaited him when they returned back to the house but when they did finally returned back to the big black gates covered with dark green hedges and Duncan parked the car in front of the steps he paused before cutting the engine.  
"Mason's waiting inside and I'm sure Miss DiLaurentis already knows." He mumbled with his eyes still facing ahead but before Emily could respond Duncan was out of the car and making his way around to open the door for her. "Come on, I'm sure you're in desperate need of some pain killers." Duncan had officially closed off his personal side and returned to being professional and though Emily felt sad that he deemed in necessary to do so she wasn't about to let him lose his job for her stupidity.  
When she got out her shoulder ached but she did her best to support it with her uninjured arm and before Duncan even had the chance to shut the door behind her the sound of the front door slamming open filled their ears. Alison was making her way fiercely down the stairs when Emily turned around to see who had emerged from the house and in that moment she was terrified, Alison looked so completely mad that her normal neutral thin line was replaced with a ruthless frown and what looked like red cheeks.  
"Ali-" She began but the blonde silenced her with a hand and looked directly at Duncan.  
"I asked you for one thing tonight Duncan, _one thing_!" She yelled at him and Emily wanted to wince but forced her mind to stay brave.  
"I'm sorry Miss DiLaurentis." Duncan's voice was beyond apologetic, it was completely submissive but still somehow professional.  
"My office." She growled, her voice low but definitely not something to disobey and Duncan dropped his shoulders and went to walk away, only to have Emily stand in front of him.  
"No, it was my fault."  
"Stand aside Emily." Alison commanded and Emily immediately hated the tone she used, it was impersonal and very condescending, something she was not about to let Alison use on her.  
"Emily, it's fine." Duncan said when Emily was too shocked to say anything.  
"You will address her accordingly Duncan." Alison barked his way, causing the young man to step backwards slightly.  
"I apologise Ma'am, Miss Fields, it's fine." He corrected and before Emily could debate his decision he walked passed both of them and heading up into the house, lifting his head only once to look up at Mason who was standing in the door way. His face sympathetic, surprising Emily for some reason.  
"Leave us." Alison directed at Mason though her eyes never leaving Emily's. Mason went back inside, no doubt somewhat happy he didn't have to witness the argument that was about to unfold.  
"You can't fire him." Emily said the moment the door was closed.  
"That is not up to you." Alison returned quickly. "He did not do his job. It's what he's paid to do and he did not do it. It's as simple as that." She folded her arms and half expected Emily to submit but she didn't, in fact this assumption only angered the brunette.  
"Oh _yeah_ , like you've never made a mistake in your job." Emily retaliated harshly before tightening her grip around her arm and walking passed Alison to go inside in search of some pain killers. When she walked inside she was surprised to see Cece sitting in the living room with Mason, the blonde quickly stood up when her eyes made contact with Emily's but she quickly sat down again when Alison walked into the room and shut the door loudly behind her.  
"Don't walk away from me Emily." Alison demanded, this time her tone softer, still however not enough to calm Emily down and instead forcing her to continue on her path to the kitchen where the first aid kit was.  
"I think we should go upstairs." Cece whispered to Mason when Alison followed the brunette.  
"I think so too." He matched her tone before they both quickly stood and retreated up the grand staircase on the tip of their toes.  
By the time Emily had made her way into the kitchen and struggled with the first aid kit from the top shelf she was somewhat hoping her anger would have subsided.  
"How could you _possibly_ be mad at me right now? Duncan's employment with me has nothing to do with you."  
"You didn't even wait for _me_ to explain let alone _him_! How is that fair? Remember when Mason was supposed to make sure no one was around when you took me to that abandon warehouse the day after we met?"  
"That was different." Alison murmured quietly when she realised what point Emily was making.  
"How is that _any_ different?" She dropped the first aid kit on the kitchen island mostly because she was using her non-dominant hand but also to illustrate her frustration.  
"It wasn't your safety he was jeopardizing."  
"Your safety is just as important to him as my safety Alison, Duncan made a mistake, so what? Everyone's made a mistake." She rummaged around the box for a small bottle of her painkillers that her physio had prescribed her if she was ever in an immense amount of pain, such as now for instance.  
"And what if that mistake was the difference between ever seeing you again?"  
"Not every time I go out Alison means you should expect the worst." Emily wasn't sure if it was the alcohol in her system making her insensitive of if she was actually being insensitive out of spite.  
"I don't even know what happened, all the knowledge I have is a short message that Duncan sent Mason, 'Emily was attacked I'm bringing her back to Alison's,' I had no idea what was going on! Of course I'm going to expect the worst." Emily sighed at Alison's desperate tone, it wasn't fair that the blonde could switch so drastically from one emotion to the next, at least not when she was still sobering up. "Who even attacked you? And where were your friends? You shouldn't have left Duncan's supervision."  
"So you know it wasn't Duncan's fault then?" Emily turned skillfully on the spot after finally acquiring the small bottle of painkillers and went to get herself a glass of water.  
"That's not the point." Alison mumbled childishly.  
"Yes Alison, it is _exactly_ the point, you cannot fire him if I slipped out without his knowledge. He had been doing so well the whole night."  
"I will decide Duncan's employment, not you." Even with Emily's valid points it seemed Alison wasn't willing to hear her out, and that was enough for her to quickly swallow her tablets and turn to face the blonde with fierce eyes.  
"Fine." Emily walked passed Alison without another word, she had heard enough and decided that Alison was not willing to change her mind. Heading straight through the front door she also decided she did not want to drag Mason into her mess by asking for a lift to Hanna's. She made a conscious decision not to look back as the stomped down the gravel path towards the gate, entering the pin to unlock the small side gate she exited into the cold night air. Pulling out her phone she quickly dialed a few numbers and waited for the person on the other end to answer.  
"Em? Where are you?" Spencer's voice answered on the second ring, her tone a combination of panicked and relieved. "Are you okay?"  
"I'm fine Spence, I'm walking back into town, are you guys back at Hanna's yet?" Emily felt tears developing in her eyes, she would have asked her friend to pick her up but she knew it was late and that they would all still be very drunk.  
"Yeah we left after we couldn't find you, we figured you were with Alison."  
"Um, sort of. I'll explain when I get to Hanna's." She sniffed but forced herself to continue holding back her tears. The weight of the night beginning to crash over her.  
"Okay Em, we'll be up."  
Emily walked slowly, even though the creepy Rosewood forest definitely freaked her out she was dreading having to explain her night to her friends. After almost twenty minutes of walking she had almost made it to the end of the dirt road when a large black truck pulled into the drive, she would've been freaked out if she wasn't so tired and upset. It wasn't until the pickup truck pulled up beside her that her nervous started to kick in, that was however until Toby got out of the car and ran to her, pulling her into a tight bear hug.  
"Thank goodness you're okay." He said, relief lathered in his voice. "What's wrong with your shoulder?" He noted when he pulled away and looked at her positioning of her hands.  
"I don't really feel like talking about it Toby, can we just go back to Hanna's?"  
"Did Alison hit you?" Toby ignored her request and jumped straight to his next question, that completely throw Emily off.  
" _What_? God no Toby! She would never." She defended quickly.  
"Spencer said you didn't sound like yourself on the phone, she said you sounded like you did when you used to be with Paige." Emily could see Toby becoming defensive, she could see the concern in his eyes but she didn't want him to fret right now. She just wanted to be with her friend.  
"Toby, I _promise_ you, Ali didn't hit me."  
"Okay." He murmured before helping her into the car when he realised her shoulder was in significant amount of pain. She was hoping the pain killers would kick in soon so she didn't have to explain everything to her friends with a sore shoulder.

-x-

After their argument Alison took a deep breath to calm herself down and made her way upstairs into Duncan's office assuming that would be where Emily had stormed off too, pausing momentarily when she heard soft voices coming from inside.  
" _Please_ tell me you weren't talking to girls, Duncan." She heard Mason say, his voice desperate.  
"I wasn't Sir, honestly." Duncan's voice also sounded desperate but a different kind, Alison couldn't explain it but she didn't really want to think about it, his tone would change her mind if she did.  
"Who attacked her?" Mason said with a sigh.  
"Paige McCullers." Duncan replied and Alison tensed at the name, her fist clenching subconsciously.  
"What happened?" Mason continued, unaware of Alison listening behind the door.  
"From what I saw, Paige was kissing Miss Fields, forcing herself on her. She was being too rough, I'm sure she caused more damage to Em- Miss Fields than just her arm but she wouldn't let me look." Duncan was stuttered nervously and Alison immediately understood that Mason was not briefing him but more interrogating him.  
"I will take a closer look at her when they've finished... talking." Cece's voice came from the other side of the room just as Alison was ready to interrupt them, stopping her because Cece was speaking of Emily as if she wasn't in the room.  
"Mason I'm really sorry, she was seriously right in front of my eyes one minute and gone the next, I looked everywhere."  
"I'm sure you did Duncan but it's not me you have to convince." As a silence fell between them Alison decided she had listened to enough and burst through the door, realising that Emily was indeed not in the room.  
"Have you guys seen Emily?" Alison watched Mason and Duncan quickly stand as she entered.  
"We assumed she was still with you." Cece was the first to speak, though her confused tone mimicked Mason and Duncan's confused expressions.  
"No, I thought she came up here to talk to you guys." Alison looked between her too body guards but the moment she made eye contact with Duncan he bowed his head respectfully.  
"She's probably just gone straight to bed Ali." Cece made her way to Alison's side, almost avoiding her eyes.  
"Did you guys hear her walk passed?" Another silence feel upon them as the three looked between each other before directing their gaze back to Alison, shaking their heads in unison. This wasn't the response she wanted, and it caused her mind to jump to conclusions, pulling out her phone she quickly dialed Emily's number and waited, only to be cut short when the brunette must have sent her to voice mail which only made more anger bubble within her. When she tried a second time she was sent to voice mail even faster but before she could try a third time Mason's phone buzzed on the table, indicating he had gotten a message. Nervously he picked the offending item up and opened the message.  
"It's from Emily." He looked up Alison and outstretched his arm, allowing the blonde to take the phone and read the message.

 _I'm fine and tell Alison I'm fine, I've gone back to Hanna's. I sense if I hadn't told you this Alison would demand you look until you found me. So I'm hoping this will be enough of a message. I want to be alone tonight and I want that to be respected._

As Alison went to write a reply another message came up on the screen and she felt her heart skin slightly.

 _Mason... can you tell Duncan I'm sorry... please._

Alison handed the phone back to Mason and dropped her shoulders, disappointed in herself the moment she realised how drastically she had over reacted, not about Emily being attacked but about how she was blaming Duncan for it. Yes, he should have been there, but Emily had a point, everyone made mistakes.

-x-

"I'm gonna smack that bitch." Hanna slurred slightly as she stood up fiercely only to be caught by a sober Spencer's hand that pulled her back down to the lounge she and the blonde were occupying.  
"It's fine, I pushed her off this time if it's any consolation." Emily had explained what she could remember, it wasn't that the alcohol made her forget but more her exhaustion as it was passed two in the morning by the time she had told them everything.  
"This time?" Aria probed from the recliner across from Spencer and Hanna, a bottle of water resting in between her crossed legs. Emily was sitting on the ground in front of Aria, enjoying the comfort she got when the petite brunette played with her hair.  
"Well, when Alison and I were first seeing each other Paige came to my apartment and tried to kiss me." She explained as she turned to face Aria.  
" _Oh_ , Alison told us about that. Didn't she try to choke you?" Hanna's sensitivity filter had been missing since her third glass of wine at dinner and still hadn't returned.  
"I didn't realise Alison told you." Emily's eyes averted to the side as she thought to herself, sometimes Alison was very opened to the idea of being honest with Emily's friends and then completely opposed to it other times, it confused her beyond reason.  
"Well I think she was telling us to prove us wrong." Spencer chipped in moments later with a yawn.  
"About what?" Emily quirked an eyebrow curiously and Spencer looked at Aria who was rubbing her own head this time.  
"Well we thought she was bad for you, I think her only defense was that she had her body guard stopping Paige from killing you, she was desperate for the upper hand." The brunette replied matter-of-factly.  
"Paige wasn't going to kill me." Emily interjected quietly and Spencer subtly blinked one too many times, realising how insensitive she sounded she looked to Hanna for help only to remember the blonde was still drunk and she then looked to Aria who gave her a 'I'm not helping you with this' look.  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to jump to conclusions." She stuttered before sitting back slightly in the lounge.  
"Well what was she gonna do then, if she wasn't going to kill you?" Hanna questioned as she sipped at her wine.  
"Okay you've had enough of this." Spencer reached for Hanna's glass and placed it on the ground between the four of them.  
"Hey, I was drinking th-" But before Hanna could finish Spencer shushed her and looked back towards Emily with apologetic eyes.  
"I don't know what she would have done for sure but I guess I could guess." Emily shrugged and felt Aria's hand playing with her hair again. Silence fell between them and as Hanna processed what had been said and connected the dots it was like a timer a pinged in her brain and her face immediately saddened.  
"She's such a psycho." She muttered before taking her wine from the table and taking a large sip, ignoring Spencer's glaring eyes as she did.  
"It's fine. I don't want to talk about her anymore." They talked for about half an hour before deciding it was time to sleep, Aria and Spencer were sharing a mattress on the floor since the spare bed was now gone and Hanna offered Emily the bed but she declined knowing Caleb probably wouldn't appreciate being kicked out in the early hours of the morning. She had made herself comfortable on the lounge and waited patiently for sleep to come, though for a long time it didn't seem too. Her mind was too full of everything that had happened over the course of the evening that sleep seemed like an eternity away.

-x-

Alison was sitting in the car, her fingers tapping on the arm rest as Mason drove quietly, everything was making her anxious that morning; the traffic was unbearably against her, the weather was miserable and to make things worse she had been suffering from the cancer brain condition that Cece had explained to her not too long ago. She had snapped out of it for the time being but the fact that she couldn't remember certain things upset her, she was too tired for the drama that came with it but she was glad Emily hadn't been around to see it again. She guessed there was a benefit to the brunette storming off the night before. When Mason had finally stopped the car in front of Hanna's house Alison was quick to undo her seat belt and exit, she wanted to fix this with Emily, she didn't want the brunette to spend the entire day without knowing she was sorry and a text message apology was not going to be acceptable.  
"Wait here, I don't think I'll be long." She directed to Mason who turned around from the front seat to look at her directly.  
"Yes Ma'am." He replied and returned his gaze back to the front. Alison went to open the door when she realised Duncan had already opened it for her, he was carefully inspecting the surrounding areas for anyone but considering it was not even nine in the morning on a Sunday she expected there wouldn't be.  
"Thank you." She murmured to Duncan who had been quiet since the night before, he nodded politely and she turned to walk up the short path to Hanna's house.  
"Miss DiLaurentis?" He questioned softly, his tone so soft Alison was sure he would melt if she turned around too harshly.  
"Yes?" She replied just as softly.  
"I really am sorry." He bowed his head respectfully and waited.  
"I know Duncan. It's okay." She turned without another word and headed for Hanna's front door. Knocking softly she was half expecting there to be no response at first but when she heard the soft pitter patter of feet slowly making their way to the front door she was mildly surprised to see Spencer peering through the glass of the door to see who was there. She paused before unlocking the door and opening it, only to slink her body through the small gap she had given herself and shut the door almost the whole behind her, leaving the smallest amount of room to peek in.  
"Hey." Alison tried, but she could tell by Spencer's unimpressed eyes that it wasn't going to be that easy. "Is she okay?"  
"She's fine, I think she could have used you last night though." Spencer noted and Alison prepared herself for the lecture that she knew was coming. "She needed you to be there for her, not jumping down your securities throat. At least not in front of her, you could have done that when she was in bed or _any_ other time really."  
"I know." Alison matched Spencer's whispering tone, which lead her to think that Emily and the others may have been sleeping not too far away.  
"She however was feeling guilty for standing up to you, I can tell."  
"Guilty? Why?" Alison honestly had no idea why Emily would be feeling bad, she was the one that should be feeling guilty which she definitely was after she took a breath and thought about it.  
"Come on, you have cancer and it was pretty bad at one point. Of course she's going to feel bad for challenging you in any way, even _I_ feel bad."  
"You shouldn't, and neither should Em."  
"Do you at least know where Paige is?" Spencer was trying to remain positive but something about Alison brought out her feisty side that she couldn't seem to conceal no matter how hard she tried.  
"I've got someone looking for her but no luck yet, which I'm fine with as long as she's nowhere near Emily. Hopefully." She swallowed as she looked around subconsciously until she remembered Mason and Duncan were watching her and everything around her carefully.  
"Do you think Emily is safe... here?" Spencer looked back inside at her sleeping friend and then back to Alison. The blonde paused however as she too exchanged looks with her body guards, though she couldn't see them she knew they were watching her.  
"I... I don't know." She sighed as she adjusted the long black hoodie that protected her identity. "I failed her." She stated simply before stepping backwards slightly.  
"What do you mean?" Spencer questioned curiously.  
"I promised her I would never hurt her, and it felt like not even moments later I shattered her. Then she came back to me, only to have her heart broken a second time because of my sickness. I promised you guys I would keep her safe and I didn't, I failed in so many ways. But I can't help myself because she means too much to me. I won't let anyone hurt her, I can't lose her because I'm not as strong as she was, is."  
"Don't give up Alison." Spencer began as she reached for Alison's hands. "Giving up doesn't seem as though it's something you do often."  
"Sometimes I think Emily deserves better." She noted softly, her face lowering slightly.  
"And she constantly tells us you deserve better Alison. I don't know a lot about your relationship and I sense I never really will given its situation but one thing's for sure, she loves you and you love her. As far as I'm concerned, that's all that will matter in the end. Despite who was hurt in the past."  
"How very philosophical of you, Miss Hastings."  
"Well I did graduate with honours in Philosophy."Spencer chuckled before turning inside again, her eyes falling upon Emily who was steering in her slumber on the lounge. Hanna had woken up and gone to the shower before Alison had arrived and Aria had gone on a coffee run.  
"Is there anything you didn't graduate honours with?" Alison questioned as her eyes followed Spencer's inside, though the tall brunette's figure blocked her view.  
"I wouldn't have allowed such a thing." Spencer laughed before moving aside slightly, opening the door more so Alison could have passage. "You should see her."  
"Are you sure?" Alison murmured cautiously.  
"She had a rough night. I think seeing you will do some good." Spencer fully moved away and allowed Alison inside, she looked at the large black car that sat quietly in the driveway before following Alison inside and shutting the door. She looked at Alison carefully, the blonde was stuck in the doorway.  
"I'm not so sure about that."  
"Let Em be the judge of that." Spencer placed her hands on Alison's shoulders and pushed her towards the lounge across the room before slipping out down the hall to find Hanna.  
Alison was left alone with a still very asleep Emily, the brunette was lying on her left shoulder facing into the lounge, she assumed it was because of her shoulder and concern seemed to quickly fill every nerve in her body. She sat on the ground by Emily's head and looked over the brunette's shoulder, Alison was surprised for some reason to see her still in her dress from the night before but then realised she had left the home without anything to change into. The dress gave Alison a proper view of Emily's injuries, on her back going up her shoulder blade was a deep bruise that she must have gotten when Paige had pushed her roughly into the brick wall of the club and it caused her concern to mix with anger, it was a lethal combination.  
"I'm so sorry." She whispered as she leaned to kiss the injury softly, causing Emily to stir slightly. She moved away quickly in hopes she hadn't disturbed Emily but moments later she moved her arm out in a subconscious stretch obviously causing some pain when the brunette swore quietly, unaware of Alison's presence.  
"Stupid bitch." She grumbled moments later.  
"I hope you're not talking about me." Alison said and Emily jumped and turned around.  
"Geez babe." She placed her hand over her chest and puffed slightly, sitting up on the lounge she brought the blanket she had been cuddling with her to keep warm.  
"I'm sorry. Are you okay?"  
"Well aside from the partial heart attack, yes. I'm okay." She laughed lightly.  
"I meant your shoulder, though your sarcasm is comforting for some strange reason." Alison smiled and Emily laughed half-heartedly before looking down at her twiddling fingers. "Are... are _we_ okay?" She continued when Emily didn't speak.  
"I just wish my opinion mattered to you." Emily said as she continued to look down at her hands.  
"It's because your opinions matter to me that I got so angry. I felt like I almost lost you." She wanted to make a big deal about the fact that once again Emily's shoulder was damaged in some way, this time however she didn't feel it was her fault and that was the only reason she hadn't said anything yet.  
"Duncan is a good guy, he doesn't deserve to lose his job because I disappeared."  
"And he won't lose his job Em. I have already decided that but I don't want to talk about that, I want you to tell me about what happened with Paige, did she hurt you... More than just your shoulder."  
"My back hurts. My neck too, she seems to have a thing for strangling." Emily moved the blanket she had been keeping up around her neck, though Alison had just presumed it was because she was cold. Deep bruises marked Emily's throat and Alison quickly stood to inspect them, she felt her concern and anger bubble like hot water on an already hot stove, she felt she was ready to over boil any second until Emily's warm hands took her own and pulled her down on the lounge beside her. "Breathe." She reminded the blonde with a soft kiss on her knuckles.  
"Right." Alison mumbled and then took a sharp inhale before letting her head tilt to Emily's neck. Her lips made landing on the sensitive skin in chaste kisses and Emily titled her head to give the blonde more access, she needed the comfort.  
"We're okay." She whispered as she turned her head back to Alison while lifting her hands from the blonde's to her cheeks. "We're going to fight, we're both incredibly stubborn and we won't be able to help ourselves." She chuckled and Alison joined in as a single tear slipped passed her eye and onto Emily's hand.  
"I'm sorry I got so angry."  
"It's okay, I'm sorry too." Emily replied and brought Alison into a sweet kiss. As they parted they heard Hanna let out a loud squeal of admiration.  
"You guys are just so cute!" She continued to squeal as Emily and Alison turned around to face her.  
"Hanna." Spencer came from down the hall and stood beside the blonde, Caleb quickly following when he heard all the commotion. "What part of 'leave them alone' did you not understand?"  
"The 'leave' and the 'them' and the 'alone' part." She giggled before making eye contact with the two girls sitting on the last piece of furniture in her living room who both rolled their eyes before turning their gaze back to each other. "I just can't help it, I mean look at them! They're _so_ cute."  
"Thanks Han." Emily said but her eyes never left Alison and seconds later she pulled the blonde in for another sweet kiss.

 _ ****_ **Hope you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for all the awesome reviews and ideas – they really** _ **really**_ **helped! If you've got anymore let me know. As always thanks for reading and leave a review if you have the time ^.^  
-Aemstar**


	25. Chapter 25

_**Chapter Twenty Five**_

 _Two Months on..._

Alison had grown inpatient of the Private Investigator Mason had hired. Time had passed, the snow was long gone and it was heating up, well heating up in comparison to the Rosewood cold and still nothing. The mysterious PI, who apparently had many years experience, had come to one conclusion, Paige had disappeared and that wasn't good enough. The last decent piece of information he found on her was she was at a bus station in New York.  
"Ali... baby you're pacing and it's making me sick." Emily chuckled from the bed, Alison hadn't realised the brunette had even awoken but she sensed by her comment that she must have been watching her think for a fair amount of time.  
"She can't have just disappeared." She said as she stopped by the end of the bed.  
"Don't think about her, come here." Emily outstretched her hand but Alison couldn't get her troubled thoughts out of her mind, not even when the sheet Emily had been covering her naked midsection with slipped slightly at her movements. Alison sat down in the lethal combination of frustrated and confused when she couldn't piece any of the pathetic clues the PI had gotten together. "What will help you forget about this?" Emily questioned in defeat as she dropped her hand on the bed. Alison had been more consumed by Paige's attack on Emily then her own Cancer; even though it was almost gone and she was borderline in remission Emily thought it deserved higher precedence then Paige.  
"I want her behind bars for hurting you." Alison grumbled, her face not facing Emily but that didn't stop the brunette from identifying her anger.  
"The cops know about what happened, they're looking for her too baby, she'll be found." Emily sat back against the bed board, she wished she could go back to the previous night, to all the fun she and her favourite blonde had, now however it just seemed to be shifted into the back of Alison's mind, as though it was not important and it didn't make Emily feel very good.  
"Are you mad because I didn't sound too excited about... the question you asked me last night?" She asked shyly and though her eyes were focused on her fiddling fingers she could feel the bed shift as Alison turned to look at her.  
"Goodness no Em, I'm not that childish." Alison replied quickly as she moved up the bed to take the brunette's hands. "I would just like you to care about the fact that she hurt you, that she abused you. If you can't care about that, then at least take into consideration that if she were to ever get into another relationship she might abuse that person?" As Emily processed Alison's words she felt the blonde squeeze her fingers in hopes it would help them get through. "I care about you Em, but what if Duncan hadn't interrupted and I know you pushed her off, I know. But you were already injured, I could have lost you and the thought of that makes my stomach drop." They'd had this conversation many times before, over the last few weeks of doctors appointments and Emily's job searching with still no success the only thing they would talk about was Paige. Emily was over the topic, she wanted to be done with Paige but Alison wasn't having any of it and considering they shared the personality trait of stubbornness most of the time it broke out in an argument, followed by apologies and sometimes, hot make up sex. Alison's hormones had returned to normal, which meant she wasn't going through the motions of wanting lots of sex or never wanting it. Emily felt there was some consistency again with their relationship, even if they did have the occasional quarrel.  
"I do care; I just don't want you to let it consume you. I'm here and I'm safe but you're right I didn't consider what would happen if she was with someone else."  
"I will try not to let it consume me." Alison promised as she brought Emily's hands to her lips, after she kissed them lightly the brunette took control and let them caress her cheek before moving up her head.  
"It's growing." Emily smiled playfully as she played with Alison's hair. Her hair was still short but even just over a couple of month's worth of growth was enough to let Emily weave her fingers into the wavy locks, she assumed after a few more weeks Alison would be able to pull it back into the tiniest ponytail.  
"It is." Alison replied softly, her tone laced in relief. "It feels softer." She continued as her hand joined Emily's.  
"It does, you know what I like most about it?" She questioned and Alison looked up at her curiously.  
"What's that?"  
"I've got something to hold onto now." She replied seductively and Alison's mind that was full of Paige and information quickly turned to other thoughts.  
"Did you think about what I asked last night? I'm sorry if it was a bit much." Alison was leaning closer but still leaving enough distance that she and Emily could stay focused.  
"It wasn't too much, I was just surprised because... I don't know, I've never considered it before."  
"I don't know what came over me." Alison whispered quietly. "Did it upset you?" She had been thinking about it momentarily, perhaps the reason Emily was so uneasy about the topic was because there was an underlined feeling that was being disregarded.  
"No. Well... I don't know." She stuttered as Alison made herself comfortable back in the messy sheets that had been scrambled in their love making. She was in her dressing robe and it felt weird to be getting into bed with it still on but she thought removing it would distract both her and Emily. "Can I ask... is it because you miss sex with a guy?"  
"Em, I've had sex with a guy once." Alison stated plainly; for some reason this surprised Emily and her facial expression displayed so. "Is it that shocking? Do I seem like a slut?" She teased and Emily quickly straightened her back and turned to face the blonde.  
"No, gosh, sorry I didn't mean it like that. I promise."  
"I was kidding Em, calm down." She caught Emily's cheeks in her hands to calm her beautiful brunette, lightly touching Emily's lips with her own Alison felt her shoulders drop in relief. "In all seriousness though, I've had sex with one man, that was Luke and it was once."  
"Really? Only once?" Emily's surprise was gone and replaced with curiosity, she didn't know why but she had just assumed otherwise.  
"Well, I got pregnant and then didn't' feel like it after that, it was complicated. When I became famous relationships became complicated especially with Eric always chasing me. I just didn't bother." She said with a shrug.  
"So besides Luke, you've only been with me?" Emily said with a subtle smile and Alison nodded. "That makes me feel rather exceptional."  
"So, do you still feel like I would be missing sex with a guy then?" The blonde chuckled as she let one hand move under the sheets to caress Emily's thigh.  
"No." She inhaled deeply at Alison's comforting touch and moved her head closer in hopes the blonde would kiss her again.  
"But since I had to answer and the question is relevant to what I asked you last night I feel you should tell me who you've slept with." Alison said as she quickly retracted her hand and backed away from Emily who almost groaned in disappointment.  
"Just Paige, you already know that." She pointed out matter-of-factly while subtly moving her hand underneath the silky fabric of Alison's robe.  
"Not officially." The blonde caught Emily's travelling hand and placed it on top of the sheets where she could keep an eye on it. "Did you guys ever use toys?" She asked casually and Emily's eye twitched at the word, though it wasn't dirty nor was it really inappropriate so she didn't know why it was suddenly making her nervous.  
"No, I don't want to talk about sex with her though." Emily completely removed her hands from the sheets and placed them on her lap, the thought of Paige was only upsetting her.  
"I'm only asking so I know what precautions I would need to take baby." Alison took her hands and soothed them over with her fingers, grabbing her attention.  
"Precautions?" Emily swallowed. "Ali... you've... you've already been... inside me." Emily was suddenly very shy and her bright red cheeks were proof but Alison didn't mock or tease, she merely raised one hand to smooth the red skin over with her thumb.  
"Fingers, yes, but a toy, a dildo is different and if it's your first time in terms of that I want it to be as pleasant as I can make it." Alison spoke confidently about the topic but Emily was turning an even brighter red which made the blonde think that perhaps she just wasn't ready for it, or was opposed to the idea completely . "Look, we don't have to; I just... like the idea of it."  
"I'm just uneasy about it because I've heard it hurts. Also, there are always people around... I don't feel super comfortable about doing it without toys let alone with when I know in the back of my mind Cece or Mason or Duncan is somewhere close by." She took a deep breath after her ramble and looked at Alison who waited patiently for her to continue, the blonde could tell she had more to say. "Plus, I'm a lesbian; I don't want... that involved with our activities."  
"Emmy, baby, I don't mind if you're entirely opposed to the word penis but you can at least say sex, it's not a bad word." Alison's hands took Emily's as the brunette shyly flinched at her confidence; it wasn't that she didn't like it she just wasn't used to it.  
"Okay fine, _sex_." She laughed before blushing again.  
"And also, having a toy isn't about replacing the fact that there's no man but more about trying different things. Straight couples have toys too." Alison slowly removed the sheets from Emily's body and straddled her, using the sheet as a small shelter from the morning cold, though it was spring it was still Rosewood.  
"Well... would it hurt?" She looked Alison directly in the eyes searching for an honest answer, half expecting the blonde to lie for some reason.  
"Only for a little bit." Alison replied honestly and Emily dipped her head into the blonde's neck, wishing that she had actually lied; it would've made her feel better. "But," She whispered as she wrapped her arms around Emily's neck and twisting her fingers into her messy hair. "If we get you nice and warmed up it'll be a lot easier." She said seductively and she felt Emily's hands make their way through her robe, undoing it quickly and pushing it open for access. Her hands started playing with the skin underneath Alison's breasts, causing goose bumps to rise.  
"Could... could I use one on you?"  
"I would love you too." She moaned as Emily's hands cupped each breast gently. "Would that make you feel more comfortable about me using one on you?" Alison questioned as one of Emily's hands moved down her chest and passed her stomach, caressing the skin gently as she moved. Emily nodded into her neck as she began kissing at her pulse point. "Okay. And we will try it when it's just us alright? Completely alone with no one in the house." She whispered a soft moan giving Emily the encouragement to quickly turned them over and hover above her before kissing a trail down her body.

-x-

"Hey Duncan, is Alison up yet?" Cece had walked into the kitchen after spending the night on the lounge when she was too tired to go home.  
"I think she's still in bed with Emily." He noted as he looked up from his newspaper and now finished coffee.  
"Those two are like rabbits." She laughed as she began making her own coffee and Duncan chuckled quietly as he pretended to read, his eyes were instead focused on Cece's swaying hips as she got lost in her thoughts. He however had to force himself back into reality when he noticed she was looking at him waiting for an answer to a question he must not have heard.  
"Apologies, I was focused on this article, what did you say?" He thought he had recovered quickly but when Cece's eyebrow quirked in disbelief he knew he had been busted.  
"Did you want some more coffee?"  
"Sure, but I'll make it. Are you hungry?" He asked as he politely stood from the chair walked over to the coffee machine where Cece remained standing. He thought she would move away instantly when he closed the distance but it took the blonde a few moments before she finally did.  
"No, that's' okay. Coffee will do me just fine." She said as she sat down where Duncan had been sitting.  
"Aren't you a doctor? Shouldn't you know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day?"  
"I don't think you need to be a doctor to know that." She laughed, this time her eyes were averted to Duncan's muscular body. She watched him for several minutes until he turned around with two coffees in his hands, she however didn't think it was necessary to stop admiring his body until he was sitting beside her.  
"You're in my seat." He chuckled as he placed her coffee before her and sat in the perfectly good stool next to her.  
"I was just reading up on this article you were so interested in before." She said challengingly and she swore she saw the young man blush before sipping quickly at his coffee and returning to her snide comment with a charming smile.  
"Is that so?" He murmured with a quirked eyebrow. "And what do you think about the topic?"  
"Me? I don't have time for politics." She shook out the newspaper, folded it back into its rightful creases and placed it on the counter.  
"What _do_ you have time for?" Duncan was trying his best to keep his hormones in line, he was trying not to flirt with Cece but when the blonde dangled herself before him like she was he was finding it difficult to remain in control.  
"Why don't you try and guess?" She giggled as they leaned in closer, their minds clouded and with it their judgment.

"I've never been good at guessing." Duncan whispered as his lips hovered inches away from Cece's. Before they could lean any closer the sound of steps entering the room broke the silence, interrupting them and causing Duncan to move away faster than either he or Cece expected.  
"Oh sorry." Emily muttered shyly, her cheeks flushing a soft red before Duncan quickly stood from the stool.  
"I apologise Emily." He put his hands behind his back respectfully and straightened his posture.  
"Don't be sorry." She said as she adjusted the dressing robe she was using to cover her otherwise naked body. "I just didn't realise you guys were up."

"Would you like a coffee Em?" Cece asked casually, she didn't seem bothered at all by the brunette walking in them almost kissing, in fact she was trying to repress the smile that she was getting from Duncan's shyness.  
"Sure. I was actually coming down to make Ali one as well."  
"Well I should probably get back to work, see you ladies later." Duncan picked up the newspaper and rushed from the room, Cece chuckled before sipping at her phone and looking up at Emily.  
"Hey rabbit." She continued to laugh when Emily quirked an eyebrow curiously.  
"Rabbit?"  
"Well, you and Ali do uh... you know, have a lot of sex." She was looking up from her coffee cup as she spoke and she had never seen so much blood rush to someone's cheeks in her life.  
"You're not one for beating around the bush, are you?" Emily asked as she made her way to the coffee machine to begin the process of making Alison and herself a coffee.  
"No, but you are." Cece laughed at her joke and Emily had to pause her actions so she wouldn't drop and break something.  
" _Wow_." She muttered as she managed to continue her coffee making.  
"I'm rather proud of that joke." The blonde said with a smirk as she sipped at her own coffee. "But seriously Hun, you need to relax a little when it comes to the topic of sex."  
"What makes you think I'm not relaxed?" Emily almost squeaked defensively and it was enough for Cece's raised eyebrows to be justified. "It's not something I'm used to talking about okay?"  
"Yeah I pretty much figured that out on my own. But trust me, with Alison you don't need to worry or me."  
"Has she been... um... speaking to you about... us?" Emily stuttered when Cece was hitting close to a subject that she and Alison had only just recently discussed themselves.  
"Would it bother you if she had?" The blonde said over her coffee cup. "Because I can forget it, if you would like?"

"So she has then?" Emily wanted to be mad when Cece didn't answer, giving her the answer, but really she just felt jealous that she couldn't talk to her friends about these things. "It doesn't bother me."  
"Then what is bothering you?" Cece could tell Emily was troubled by something but she knew the brunette wasn't so petty that she would be displeased by the fact that Alison had confounded in her.  
"Hey you two." Alison announced herself as she entered the room, completely oblivious to the conversation the two girls were having.  
"Hey Ali." Cece said with an innocent smile as she finished off her coffee and Emily's worries seemed to disappear the moment she saw Alison dressed in only her silky dress robe with her messy hair tied up in a loose bun to cover up the fact that they were busy all last night.  
"Hey gorgeous." The blonde whispered as she made her way to Emily who was still making their coffees. She wrapped her arms around the brunette and cuddled her tightly before inhaling deeply, smiling as the scent of coffee filled her. "That smells wonderful."  
"Thanks, why don't you sit down and I'll bring it to you?" Alison nodded before kissing the back of Emily's neck and heading over to the kitchen island to where Cece was sitting.  
"So when are you heading back to California?" Emily heard Alison ask and it her ears twitched to hear more of the conversation.  
"Maybe in a couple of days, the hospital in Phillie wants me to sit in on a surgery and give my opinion but any time after that."  
"I didn't realise you were going back." Emily stated as she handed Alison her coffee, receiving another kiss from the blonde.  
"Well I technically still work for California Private they were just kind enough to give me some time off to help Ali." She said and then stood with her empty coffee cup, walking to the sink she cleaned it and turned back to Alison and Emily.  
"Since we're heading into summer soon that means Ali's last chemo was almost three months ago and I would like her to get a few tests done. You're healing well Ali and I want you to officially enter remission." Cece turned her head as she spoke between Emily and Alison, though their interest never swayed, in fact Emily's heart skipped a beat at the word remission.

"Remission? Really?" She whispered happily as she looked down at Alison, it had only just occurred to her how much time had indeed passed, yes it had been two months since her conflict with Paige, yes Alison's scars had healed and she was increasingly better but it had only just hit her the moment she looked into Alison's bright blue orbs that her beautiful blonde was almost considered better.

"I will get the tests done before you go, and knowing your pushy attitude you'll get the results back the next day." Alison giggled as she looked over at Cece.  
"Well my attitude has never failed me before."

-x-

Alison watched from the corner of her small "work out" room that she had never once used, she believed Mason used it more than her but it was now being used for Emily's recovery on her shoulder. After two more months of sessions and Alison watching the security footage she had grown frustrated the more she watched the physio get a little too comfortable with her girlfriend. That was until she started sitting in on the sessions and Emily's progress only seemed to go up after that. But mostly, she wasn't paying someone to feel up her brunette, that was _her_ job.

"Take it slow and continue those exercises Emily, but for now I think I can safely say you won't need me anymore." Though Alison had never appreciated the physio constantly touching Emily she did have to admit he knew what he was doing, and he was a bit funny... even if she hated to admit it.  
Mason stood from her side and shook hands with the physio; Alison stood and did the same.  
"I appreciate the work you've done here." She forced as she smiled sweetly at the man whose name she never could remember.  
"My pleasure Miss DiLaurentis. I'd say I hope to see everyone again but in this case Emily I don't want to ever see you again for your shoulder. Take care of it, and it will take care of you." Emily chuckled and said her goodbyes before Mason was leading the young man out. Alison sat back down and watched as Emily did the last of her stretches, she seemed miles away in thought but to Alison it had never really seemed out of the ordinary, Emily was just like that, always in thought.

"So how long are you going to keep staring at me?" Emily laughed as she made her way over to Alison.  
"I will stare until that shoulder is better." She shrugged innocently.  
"Didn't you hear him? I'm already better." Emily chuckled and then pulled Alison in for a passionate kiss.  
"Technically he said to take it slow and do the exercises so not yet you're not."

" _Technicalities,_ Miss DiLaurentis." She murmured as she deepened the kiss but before she could make her way to Alison's neck to possibly lead the situation further the sound of the door reopening interrupted them, though it didn't actually stop Alison from continuing to kiss Emily.  
" _Okay_ , no you two! Goodness Ali come on, you've got Derek waiting in your office remember? And I'm pretty sure he'll lose his shit if you make him wait any longer." Cece started clapping her hands loudly in hopes it would cause the two to separate, however she resorted to pulling them apart by the shoulders when Alison wasn't willing to release.  
"God alright, geez Ce." Alison groaned.  
"Don't you 'geez Ce' me! I ain't keeping him company forever."  
"Okay okay, don't get your knickers in a knot I'm going." She continued to groan as she took Emily's hands and led her and Cece out of the room, heading towards her office that was down the hall.  
"Maybe I should start interrupting her and Duncan when they're alone." She whispered to Emily after Cece sarcastically displayed her gratitude with her hands placed together in a praising motion before she over took them and made her way downstairs.

"Wait, you know about that?"

"Em, they have basically been forced to live under the same roof for an extended period of time; it's not a surprise that a relationship was developed and of course I know about it." Alison stopped by the closed door to her office and smiled up at Emily. Emily didn't understand why Alison's knowledge to the subject surprised her, perhaps it was because it was as though Cece and Duncan were hiding it or perhaps it was more because Alison had so much going on in her life that outside topics seemed too small to even consider thinking about, let alone actually taking time out to think about them.

"You seemed surprised I know?" She questioned when Emily didn't speak as she stood before her.

"I am but I'm not entirely sure why."

"I'm glad something good has come out of their captivity in this place, they were starting to get sick of our non-stop love making." Alison chuckled as she straightened up her buttoned shirt, it was slightly formal to be walking around the house but she hadn't dressed up in what felt like forever and she wanted to look somewhat professional for Derek's coming, considering he was travelling from LA.

"Oh goodness," Emily groaned, "Did Duncan hear us or something?"  
"Baby, they haven't said anything so stress less, however they aren't stupid and turning the television up loud isn't exactly the most subtle action to take when it comes to covering up." Alison watched as Emily's face turned bright red. "We will have more privacy when I'm considered medically better, I promise." She cupped Emily's cheeks in her hands and kissed her chin lightly.

"I just want you all to myself; I'll feel more comfortable using... toys... if we're alone."

"I know, soon." She whispered. "Now why don't you go make yourself a coffee and watch a movie or something? This could take a while." Emily nodded and kissed Alison on the cheek before kindly taking her hand and winking.

"Good luck." She whispered and then turned around to make her way down the hallway where she found Cece waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs.

"Wanna watch a movie?" The blonde asked happily and Emily smiled.

Alison was sighed contently as she heard Cece and Emily converse at the bottom of the stairs, she really did have a perfect girlfriend and best friend. She brought her gaze back to the door and opened it; she was instantly met with Derek typing aggressively away on his phone until she sat at her desk opposite him.

"I apologise for my lateness." She noted and he smiled a weird gesture for him to do.

"It's no problem, so I wanted to wish you luck on your test results, I hope you enter remission Ali."

"Thanks Derek I hope so too." She smiled.

"When will you find out?"

"In a couple of days, though Cece is confident I'm there. But at this point the results are more of a formality."

"That's excellent to hear."

They made small talk for over five minutes before Alison decided she had enough, she jumped right in to question Derek, he never was really one for dancing around topics so for him to dawdled was consider out of character.

"So I'm guessing since you're here we have business to discuss?"

"We do," He began, officially happy that Alison was the one to break chain of small talk. "Warner Brothers wants to know if you are continuing with their film."

"The one Gary was directing?" Alison asked with raised eyebrows and Derek nodded. "I didn't realise they were continuing with it?"

"Well yes, the board had a meeting and decided that they had invested enough money into the production that continuing was considered the best option, assuming you were starring. They told me they weren't interested in recasting."

"Can they do that?" Alison questioned more to herself than to Derek, though he answered anyway.

"Well, I don't think anyone is going to challenge them."

"Good point." Alison chuckled; even she had to admit she wouldn't challenge a board member of Production Company.

"They did kick Gary off the project though, with a little persuasion from my end." He smiled triumphantly to himself.  
"So he did tell the press then?"

"We never officially admitted it but he got a large sum of money anonymously wired to his bank account shortly after the ordeal and that was considered suspicious enough for me to get him kicked off the directing team. And since he's been fired no one else has wanted to hire him." Derek sounded proud of himself and Alison had to admit she was impressed because she knew how hard it was to convince anyone in Hollywood anything without proper evidence; Derek had done his job well. Though she did, for some reason, feel a pinch of guilt hit her stomach at the thought of Gary struggling to find work, she didn't know why her mind deemed it necessary to feel this guilt considering he had sold off her private matters to the press for personal gain.

"So they're not recasting _anyone_?" She questioned subtly and Derek's smile thinned slightly.

"Well, they thought you and Alyssa had great chemistry and decide they didn't want to recast in fear it might ruin the whole project."  
"So they will only continue if both Alyssa and I are starring?"

"Yes and she has apparently already agreed. They just want to know your decision, they've give you until tomorrow to decide."

"Only a day?" She half gasped at the time frame.

"Respectfully Alison, they thought filming would have been done by now when they handed over the funding." Derek noted calmly and Alison seemed to be lost in thought for a long time until she finally spoke again.

"I want to think about this, I will let you know by tonight." She stood from her desk, indicating that the subject was done and nothing Derek could say would convince her to decide right that moment, though she sensed the moment he stood with a smile this was more than he was expecting. Perhaps he was expecting an outright no.

-x-

It was seven thirty and Alison still hadn't told Derek her answer, she was actually waiting for the right time to ask Emily but no time seemed to come until they were half way through dinner after Emily had finished telling her about her afternoon with Cece; who had now disappeared on a "not date" with Duncan. Mason was home with his wife after much convincing from Alison. So they were finally alone for the first time in what seemed like forever.

"Ali?" Emily waved her hand in front of the blonde who seemed to be staring aimlessly into space.  
"Him? Sorry what did you say beautiful?"  
"Is dinner okay? I mean I know I'm not the best cook but I'm practicing."  
"Oh Em, it's delicious I'm sorry, my mind was just elsewhere." She mumbled as she took a bite of her good and Emily's lip twitched, sensing something specific was on her girlfriends mind.  
"Are you okay?" She pushed softly and Alison sighed, decided that it was now or never.  
"I have something I wanted to ask you."  
Even she could tell she sounded unsure of herself and she immediately saw Emily begin to think of every possible scenario in her head. "The studio has asked me to continue the film I was working on before I was sick." She finished quickly before Emily could scare herself further. The brunette exhaled in relief and then took Alison's free hand.  
"Geez, you were acting so serious I thought you were going to ask me to cover up a murder or something." She said relief still evident in the tone. "So what's wrong with that? Why do you need to ask me?" She asked as she lifted Alison's finger tips to her lips, kissing them softly as she waited for the blonde to process what she had said and to answer.  
"Alyssa is still going to be co-starring with me." Alison almost whispered in fear. "If you don't want me to do it then I won't." She continued quickly when she noticed Emily's hand tightened around her fingers.  
"It's not about me baby, it's your movie, your job. It is your choice." Emily stated confidently but when she saw hesitation in Alison's usually confident eyes she too felt her body hesitate. "Is... Is there any vivid scenes? Is that why you're asking me?" She swallowed deeply in anticipation for the answer she knew.  
"If the script hasn't changed, then yes, there will be."  
"You guys don't actually... Have sex on set right?" Emily asked after a fee long seconds of silence.  
"No, baby." Alison answered, her confidence found again, happy to have Emily opened to the idea. "But she will be touching me and I will have to touch her. I will have to be very close to naked around her and other people but it will just be business and work. But it will also be made to feel intimate for the paying audience and a lot of people will see it Em."  
"Are you trying to convince me for or against it?" Emily questioned, her mine slightly boggled by all the details Alison was telling her.  
"Neither, I am merely showing you all points. It will be hard Em and people make rumours. That's just how things work."  
"Do you want to do it Ali?"  
"I think the film itself will be good to the Gay community and I'm all about supporting that." Alison smiled kindly and Emily instantly found it infectious.  
"Well what about Rosewood?" She asked subtly though Alison understood her hidden question clearly.  
"Well filming was mostly on a set in LA, so we could move there until filming is done? I mean if you want to come? You could stay here if you wanted too."  
"No I will go wherever you do Ali." Emily didn't hesitate to answer and Alison's smile grew.  
"Well we can live in LA until production is over and then figure out our next move after that?" They both paused momentarily and Emily quickly tried to think everything thoroughly through over in her mind.  
"What will I do once we're there?"  
"You can work if you'd like? I sense you wouldn't want to wait around for me all day." "I just... Don't want to get lonely." She said almost randomly and Alison took both Emily's hands in her own and held them tightly.  
"I will be working a lot but once filming is done I'm yours, Derek will probably make me stay around for the premier and everything."  
As Emily thought about the situation it didn't really seem appealing, sure she was leaving a town she didn't really feel a part of anymore but to have Alison doing a movie and those kinds of scenes with someone who had tried to claim her made her stomach drop slightly. She was trying to think logically, until she had a job or something to occupy herself she was going to be home alone a lot but it was obvious Alison wanted this, a lot and that seemed to ultimately be the only thing that mattered.  
"Let's do it." She smiled genuinely.  
"Really? Are you sure you're okay its moving with me?"

"Are you sure you're okay with moving again? You've seriously moved between this place and your one in LA at least three times now."  
"Well I actually sold my house in LA, it was way too big for my liking but Derek considered it a good investment."  
"Where would we live?"  
"I would tell Derek what I wanted and what I'm willing to spend and then make him deal with it. He hasn't let me down before." She chuckled lightly and Emily joined in.  
"So I would live with you?" She asked curiously.  
"I would hope so." Alison quirked an eyebrow at Emily's unusual question. "Did you not want to?"  
"Of course I want to! I just wish... I could contribute. That's all."  
"Perhaps we can look into that? But right now I need to tell Derek if the answer is yes or no to continuing with the film."  
"I was honestly the decider?" Emily asked  
And Alison nodded proudly. "I'll support you with whatever you think is right Ali. You don't need to ask me for permission because I'll follow you to the ends of the earth." She said and swiftly kissed Alison on the cheek.  
"Then if you're really okay with it I'll organize the formalities tomorrow but I will call Derek after we've cleaned up dinner."  
"You go call him; I'll call my parents and clean up." Emily offered and Alison hesitated.  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yes, I feel like you've made him wait long enough and I gathered there would be a few details you'd need to organise tonight."  
"Thanks beautiful. I'll clean up tomorrow okay?" Alison stood from the table and pulled out her phone but before she disappeared she kissed Emily sweetly on the lips. Emily stood from the table and took the dirty dishes from dinner with her, after she placed them in the sink and waited for the water to warm up she pulled out her phone and called her parents. She spent much longer on the phone than she had originally expected, her parents were beyond happy for her which for some reason surprised Emily. After almost twenty minutes of her mother's constant questions without even a second to answer them she had managed to say their goodbyes and organized to call them the next day when she knew more. Hanna was the next person Emily called, and since she had never actually managed to wash the dishes like she had originally planned she put her phone on loudspeaker and reheated the now cold water in the sink.  
When Hanna answered she sounded preoccupied but Emily quickly grabbed the blonde's attention when she revealed she was moving. Hanna squealed loudly through the phone and it almost made Emily jump but she didn't say anything,  
she merely smiled at her phone and was picturing Hanna bouncing up and down like a child waiting for a lolly pop.  
"You're going to move to LA? No way?! Are you messing with me?"  
"No I'm serious, but I think it's only briefly. There's still a lot I don't know." Emily laughed as she turned off the tap and began washing the dishes.  
"Em that's so awesome! You're finally getting out of the small town. LA will be a great start for you and that means I now have an excuse to go there." She giggled and Emily thought she heard Caleb mumble something in the background causing her to laugh.  
"I suppose that's true. Clearly that's why I said yes, just for you my best friend." She chuckled sarcastically.  
"Oh shut up smart ass, so when are you moving?" Hanna asked but before Emily could answer she felt arms wrap around her waist and lips touch the back of her neck, though she knew it was Alison she had been so focused on talking to Hanna and doing the dishes that she didn't ever hear the blonde walk up behind her.  
"Two weeks." Alison answered after a few moments of silence.  
"Oh hi Alison, please tell me you haven't been there that whole time." Hanna laughed.  
"I haven't." She assured the blonde on the other line. "Why? Were you two talking about me?" She directed more at Emily rather than Hanna. She turned the brunette, who had just placed the last plate out of the sink to dry, around and pushed her firmly but silently into the bench. Hanna's voice emanating from the phone on the counter beside them was the only thing keeping Emily's mind focused.  
"Well actually before you and Em met I used to fangirl about you all the time, I must have talked about you nonstop for a long time there but apparently not once  
Did she listen."  
"In my defence," Emily said while raising her hands up at Alison. "Whenever you decided to talk about celebrities you always chose a time when Paige was around."  
"Um excuse me you should be able to have a crush on a celebrity. It's just a fantasy... Well usually it is." She laughed and Emily forced herself to copy, though Alison was proving to make it difficult by letting her lips travel up and down her neck teasingly.  
"Well do you guys need help packing? It's a good excuse to day drink." The blonde continued when neither Emily nor Alison answered due to their distractions. Emily forced herself to chuckle but had to hold in the gasp that was hiding in the back of her throat as Alison's hands slipped passed her waist and to her jeans, slowly undoing the top button. "Em?" Hanna's voice came from the phone brining the brunette back slightly."Mhmm? I'm here sorry." She moaned softly as Alison's hands grazed the skin of her hips.  
"Okay Alison detach those luscious lips from my best friend's neck while we're conversing."Hanna commanded and Alison stopped her actions in surprise."Oh my god I can't believe I just told Alison DiLaurentis to stop kissing my friend." Hanna giggled and Emily rolled her eyes.  
"Well if you want to get technical my lips were on her chest." Alison stated plainly, not liking being told what to do when it came to Emily but enjoying the banter with Hanna.  
"Okay, you need to calm down; I don't want to hear you guys having sex."  
"Why not? It's hot." Alison continued confidentially and Emily felt her mouth gap open in surprise. "Well more specifically she sounds hot when she com-"  
"Okay babe, stop." Emily mumbled in embarrassment as she covered Alison's mouth.  
"Yes please, sorry I won't tell you what do to anymore." Hanna said defensively as she resisted the urge to burst out laughing which made Alison snicker.

"Thank you." She continued to laugh and then leant up to Emily's ear quietly. "This isn't over." She whispered seductively. "I'm going to watch TV and let you two have some more time to talk, nice talking to you Hanna." Alison walked out of the room shortly after Hanna said goodbye, she flashed Emily a quick wink before disappearing.

"That girl of yours is something else." Hanna said as Emily put the phone off loud speaker and placed it back to her ear.

"She's so perfect." She replied, her eyes starring after the blonde as she elegantly walked away, her beautiful hips distracting Emily the way they swayed.

"Alright, lover boy! Come on, she seems cool with being open about your relationship now so tell me more!" Hanna giggled and Emily sighed happily, she did definitely want to talk to her friend and after that display Alison just did she took it as permission granted.

"Okay."

 _ **Hey guys sorry it's been so long and this chapter isn't as long as the others but I hope you enjoyed anyways! Sorry about all the mistakes I was in a rush to update :) let me know what you think yeah?  
-Aesmtar x**_


	26. Chapter 26

_**Chapter Twenty-Six**_

Alison had been in and out of sleep through most of the flight, while Emily spent most of it looking out the window, it wasn't a long fight but it was long enough, apparently, for Alison to get a decent amount of sleep. Mason was sitting in front of them, his face buried in a newspaper as his wife held their daughter – who had actually been good for most of the flight, only crying when the plane took off – which was apparently normal for infants.

She had been surprised how quickly that had packed everything, how quickly the house began to look less and less like a home as the removers took everything they would need for the next house. Less than four full days had passed and everything was packed and sent to the house in LA that Alison and Emily had chosen together. Emily liked that and she had even convinced Alison that when she got a job with contributing to bills, she knew she wouldn't be able to contribute to any sort of mortgage because Alison had the money to buy it; especially since this new place was significantly smaller and less grand than the last two houses Alison owned – which Alison liked. They had reached a comfortable compromise and even Mason and Derek were happy, Derek had apparently ordered extra security necessities like fences and a camera system but beside that everyone seemed to be happy.

The seat belt sign lit up suddenly and it was Emily's first reaction to expect the worst, however moments later the pilot announced they would be landing soon and obviously the seat belts were necessary.

Emily looked around at the other occupants of the first class cabin, there were a lot of older gentlemen in suits either with their head on a pillow or in a newspaper, Emily wanted to laugh at how out of place she felt but when her eyes fell upon a woman, probably in her forties, she saw her sitting with a teenager that was trying her best not to stare at Emily or Alison. Emily smiled when she made contact with the girl who instantly blushed, smiled then looked away.

"Are we landing?" Alison's voice interrupted Emily's thoughts and she had to bring herself back to reality inside of analysing people.

"Yeah I think so, or at least we're about too."

"Sorry I fell asleep, it's been a while since I've been in LA and Derek says I should expect publicity, so I needed beauty sleep." Alison yawned as she spoke, being sure to cover her mouth almost elegantly as she did.

"First of all," Emily began quietly. "You definitely don't need beauty sleep, you've got that covered, but secondly, you've already got a fan over there I think." Emily nodded over to the girl, who was once again looking in their direction but quickly looked away when she was caught.

"Perks of being a celebrity, I suppose." Alison stated calmly before looking for the person Emily was referring to. When she found the girl she made sure to make eye contact with her and smile, when the teenager had finally managed to hide her blush and surprise she smiled in return. Alison waved before turning back to Emily.

"I think you made that girls day." She stated as she looked back down at Alison.  
"Well you made my day."

"How so?" Emily shook her head in slight surprise at the comment but decided to play along.

"Did you really think I was going to skip over that beauty sleep compliment?" Alison asked and then swiftly placed a kiss on her girlfriend's cheek before resting her head on her shoulder. "I love you Em."

"I love you too." Emily replied as she kissed the top of Alison's head.

"Are you excited to live in LA?" Alison asked as they felt the plane descend. It shuttered slightly with the wind but managed to stay controlled the entire landing, and Emily seemed to engross with watching the plane touch the ground that she almost forgot to answer Alison.

"I think it will be different. It's going to be very hot in comparison."

"It'll be fun! We can go to movie premiers, to heaps fancy restaurants and best of all go to the beach." She giggled as she leaned across Emily to look out the window and watch the plane land, getting a beautiful view the golden beaches and mysteriously dark blue ocean.

"Well I'm not going to object to seeing you in a bikini." Emily whispered a few moments later, just as the plane's tyres screeched the surface of the hot runway.

"I never thought of it like that." The blonde said as she leaned away from the window and looked up at Emily, who had a proud smirk across her face. "I've never seen you in a bikini before."

"Ali, you've seen me naked." Emily was doing her best to keep her voice low, which of course Alison appreciated but she still couldn't help a small chuckle fall from her lips.

"Of course, but this is different. Bikini's give me room for imagination."

"You need to behave." Emily caught Alison's wandering hand, though she was sure everyone else was getting ready to get out of their seats and off the plane she was always careful.

"Sorry, I can't help myself sometimes, you're just too irresistible." She replied as she unclipped her seatbelt, her hand now safely on Emily's instead of being distracted elsewhere, they waited patiently for the flight attendants to do the usual post-landing protocol and then when the doors were opened Mason stood and let his wife go – giving her a swift kiss before turning to Alison.

"You ready-" But he was quickly interrupted by the young girl from earlier, her bright red hair was short but neat.

"Excuse me... Miss DiLaurentis?" She stuttered nervously and Alison – who at this point had stood to get her bag from the overhead compartment – turned with a smile and greeted the young girl.

"Yes, that would be me." She replied and Emily smiled, looking up at Mason she saw him snicker before walking to his wife who was still waiting by the exit, along with the young girl's mother.

"I'm really sorry to bother you; I just wanted to say that you're amazing! And I love your work."

"Really? What's your name?" Alison questioned casually.

"Hayley." The girl replied with a suppressed smile.

"Well Hayley thank you, I really appreciate that. What was your most favourite of my works?" Alison turned and headed towards the exit of the plane when she realised the flight attendants getting antsy, she hastily linked her and Emily's arms and led her along – being sure not to make her feel left out by rubbing the brunette's arm with her free hand.

"Um, well I think it would be clique to say A Night To Remember, but that was your first original piece. I didn't mind Saving Justice though and I can't wait for your new movie to come out, I can't believe you're continuing with it after everything that happened."

"Hayley," Alison began as squeezed through the walk way off the plane, Emily quietly at her side, enjoying watching the little interview take place. "I realised how important this movie was, so it wasn't hard for me to go back."

"That's really cool."

"So Hayley are you visiting LA or are you coming back home?" Alison asked as she caught up with Mason who was now talking to some security guards at the gate, she assumed he was getting a car ready to avoid as much attention as possible.

"Coming home, I was visiting some family in Phillie. What about you? Is it true you and Miss Fields are moving back to LA?"

"It makes it easier to film, doesn't it hun?" Alison directed at Emily who was lost in thought, or more lost in a trance looking at Alison being so free and happy talking to Hayley.

"I think it's a good idea." She finally replied after a second too long and Alison smiled when she realised the brunette was indeed in a trance.

"And can I just say, I think its super cool that you're so open about your relationship, it's just really enlightening, especially in Hollywood."

"Hayley!" A voice came from the other side of the gate and they turned their heads to find the source. Hayley's mother was standing just behind Mason who got out of her way so she could get a better view.

"I'd better go, um thanks for talking to me, both of you, sorry I didn't ask you any questions Miss Fields I didn't mean to be rude or anything."

"That's alright, you don't need to apologise, I've never been real good with questions anyway." They walked through the gate to the airport, though they would normally have to get their luggage but Alison knew Mason had that already arranged and they would just have to focus on getting away from the large amount of photographers she could already see in the distance.

"Can... can I get a photo with you guys?" Hayley asked shyly.

"Of course." Alison pulled Emily closer and grabbed Hayley's hand after she pulled out her phone to take a photo of the three of them. Hayley would have squealed - Emily was sure - if people weren't looking. After Hayley managed to take the photo and resist the urge to squeal again she put her phone away and looked over at her mother who waved then continued with the conversation both Emily and Alison only just realised she was having with Mason and Lilly, Emilia was fast asleep in Lilly's arms.

"I should probably go, but thanks for talking to me, it was actually super awesome." Hayley smiled while presenting her hand to Alison politely. Alison quickly replied the gesture with her own hand and then Hayley shook Emily's hand. "It was nice to meet you guys. Kick some ass in this movie Miss DiLaurentis!" Hayley turned and walked to her mother who had now finished her conversation and was waiting patiently for Hayley on the side, they disappeared a few moments later and Mason returned to Alison's side.

"Do you think she was?" Mason asked as though Alison knew the whole question – which she obviously did – however Emily had no idea what he meant.

"No, but my judge in character has been a bit off since I've left LA, if that's the case then she's a good actor and deserved a free photo."

"Wait, what are you guys talking about?" Emily interjected when she gave up trying to figure it out.

"Mason is worried about the media pulling some extreme stunt to get information out of me, I feel like putting a teenager on the same flight as me seems a bit extreme but then again weirder things have happened." She strolled behind Mason who was listening in and he wanted to chuckled at Alison's sarcasm but bit his tongue.

"What information?"

"Oh anything, they'll pretty much take anything and twist into a story but I did well with what I said in case Mason's suspicions are correct."

"You really think a teenager would do that?"

"A teenager? Oh yeah, you wave some money in their face and they'll do pretty much anything." Alison chuckled. "But she seemed like a genuine fan, and it's kind of welcoming to have that already, considering the next ten minutes getting out of here is going to be hell."

Alison was right, Mason had spent over fifteen minutes trying to get Alison passed a crowd of people, which shouldn't have been hard since there was extra security from the airport but he kept grumbling to Alison that she should have brought Duncan but she merely ignored him and kept her head down, she didn't really feel like dealing with photographers today, or any other day because they never seemed to give up. Their restlessness was unbearably uncontrollable sometimes and yet Mason did well to eventually get her to her black Ferrari, it was away from the photographers for now but she sensed the quicker she got into the car and started driving the better.

"Thank you Mason. I'll see you at my house tomorrow, good luck with your place." She looked around to find Lilly who was now slowly swinging Emilia in her arms beside a white Mercedes; she waved and got a wave in return before sliding elegantly into the car.

"Thanks, call me if you need me." He answered when she put the window down; he tapped the top of the car as he walked away. She started up the engine and let its purring fill her soul, it was a powerful sound, and controlling – exactly her type of sound.

After waiting for Mason to leave first she followed closely behind him, the traffic was heavy as always but the Ferrari did make it easier to zip in and out of lanes. She thought Emily would be uncomfortable but when she subtly looked over she noticed the brunette was slowly falling asleep. Deciding to let her sleep Alison turned on the radio to fill the empty silence.

Almost an hour passed before they had finally made it through the traffic and into residential area. Alison was pretty positive of how to get to the house but she had the address on her phone just in case she had forgotten, Derek said that though the house was simple – like she had asked for – he had made the security better, gates and cameras – the usual.

When she pulled into the street she looked at the other houses, they were quant and cute, it was oddly comforting, it reminded her of Emily's street back in Rosewood – she hoped the brunette would like it. When she found the right house number she pulled into the driveway with a large black gate covered with vines blocking her path, as she looked to her left and right she saw large hedges which she was happy to see, no one was going to be seeing in. Leaning out of the car she reached for the small button on the security box and waited for the voice to come through.

" _Password identification._ " The robotic voice called through the speaker.

"Echo, Foxtrot. Too Fife, Zeero, Ait." She said clearly and then waited for the gate to unlock.

"Welcome to your new home Miss DiLaurentis." The voice replied quickly, this time however it was a completely different voice, it almost sounded human though she didn't recognise it. "My name is Avril but you can call me Av." Alison was mildly surprised by how casual the voice seemed, it was responsive and it waited as if waiting for her to answer but she was too shocked to say anything. "I am a new form of voice activation control that is here to suit all your needs; you can also access me through the house."

"Well Av, you gonna let me in so I can talk to you inside?" Alison chuckled when she realised that the voice was a serious thing and not some joke Derek was pulling on her.

"Sure, we can talk more inside. See you soon Miss DiLaurentis." The gate unlocked and Alison put her window up before continuing to drive up the small drive that leaded into a surprisingly large garage.

"Well that was interesting." She mumbled to herself as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

"Tell me about it." Emily chimed in suddenly.

"I wonder what possessed Derek to install such an advanced system. I don't think even I could afford that."

"Babe, you own a Ferrari." The brunette chuckled. Alison looked over at her and noticed the brunette was looking contently at her.

"What?" She asked when she sensed Emily had a question.

"It always kind of confused me how you got these cars here before you got here." She noted lightly, it wasn't really a questioned but Alison knew Emily wanted an answer.

"Well, Derek usually gets them driven over - it's cheaper that way – paying someone to drive it cross-country and it's done relatively quickly without a whole lot of paper work."

"Wouldn't you worry about someone stealing it?"

"Ah yes, now you see why the Ferrari is here and none of my other cars are."

Emily turned her head around to look at the garage, Alison was right; the large room was basically empty beside the motorbike in the corner.

"Well what about the bike?"

"No one is ever driving that." Alison answered quickly and Emily smiled. "Except you." She added with a smirk and the brunette blushed. Leaning over Emily lightly touched Alison's lips with her own before pulling away, she was slightly excited to see their new house and she could tell the blonde was as well.

"Come on, let's see how Derek did." She said as she got out of the car and she heard Alison follow, making their way to the door Emily opened it but gestured Alison to go through first.

"Why thank you madam." Alison giggled as she walked through.

"Anytime." Emily smirked as she lightly tapped Alison's butt playfully. The blonde turned around the slap her arm playfully before again turning back into the house. It was newly renovated but Derek said the owners had done it before the put it up for sale, most of her stuff had already been delivered, the living room could be seen off to the left, her TV was there along with her favourite lounge. Off to her right was the kitchen and down the hall was a few closed doors which she assumed to be the bedrooms and the master bedroom would be the centre door.

"Wow, this place is nice." Emily said as she looked up at the cream walls and at the freshly polished wooden floors.

"It's cosy, not too big like my other places. I like this already." Alison said as she took Emily's hand and slowly walked down the corridor, looking at each room as they passed it.

"Welcome Miss DiLaurentis and Miss Fields." The voice came again – Avril – Alison reminded herself and both she and Emily looked up at the ceilings where small cameras and speakers hung in the corners.

"Hello Av." Alison tested with a raised eyebrow before looking over at Emily who leant closer to her.

"She knows my name." The brunette whispered.

"Well actually Miss Fields, it's more I know your face, my system is updated with the latest facial recognition program which Derek installed, he uploaded all the people that Miss DiLaurentis will allow in her home so I know those people and 'ta da', I let them in, assuming they still know the password."

"Av, you can call me Alison. Surely Miss DiLaurentis is a mouth full, even for a computer."

"On the contrary, I can handle over one hundred and seventy thousand English words, not to mention most of the six and a half thousand languages but Alison is something I can do."

"Does smart-ass come as one of those languages?" Emily couldn't help but ask the question, it was like the voice had its own sense of humanity, and she found it amazingly fascinating.

"No, I believe that is part of my operating system, Miss Fields."

"Well Emily's okay for me too." She replied with a laugh.

"Excellent, well if you two would like to make your way into the kitchen I have a little surprise for you." Emily and Alison looked at each other in slightly concern before making their way to the kitchen. "Oh don't look so terrified, it's nothing bad." Av continued and when they made it into the room they were met with a small computer sitting innocently on the counter.

"This computer can transform into a tablet as well but basically it's a remote for me, if I get too annoying I suppose you could turn me off, I would understand. There is also settings you can change, it's pretty user friendly but if you need any help you can ask me, and that's not just with the computer, if you guys want me to Google something just yell out a question and I'll give you the answer, assuming there is one. Name any task, I'll give it my best shot, I'm like your personal assistant and see that smart watch on your wrist there Alison?" Both Alison and Emily looked down at the blonde's watch and looked back to the computer. "You can sync that watch to my system and take me wherever you want, assuming Emily doesn't mind that is."

"So, you can see us?" Alison murmured as she looked over at the cameras.

"Well yes, but like I said if I'm being invasive you can turn me off, especially if you two want some, _you know_ , alone time." Emily coughed nervously before looking down at Alison who was smirking widely.

"Okay um, so I am pretty sure you have a living person in your roof." Emily noted as she finally looked away from the cameras and computers and over at Alison.

" _Our_ roof, and I think this is a real thing, still don't understand why Derek would set this up though, I'm not good with technology."

"If I could interrupt for a second," Av began and they both looked up at the closest camera. "I won't always interrupt, promise, just for the introduction part. Derek had me installed because I'm a prototype, his brother is my creator. They both thought that you two would like me, it's kind of a present but at the same time I think I'm the tester. Don't know why they need to test me though, I'm clearly perfect."

"A prototype?" Emily mused curiously and Alison shrugged before looking back down at the computer.

"So what's the password for the computer then?" She questioned after she turned it on.

"The same as your access code to the house, EF2508, I believe." Emily smiled when to herself as Alison logged onto the computer.

Five minutes of silence passed as Alison messed around with the system but she was quickly interrupted again when Av spoke.

"Excuse me Alison, Derek is at the front gate, he will be at the door shortly."

"Thanks Av. So much for getting used to the house on our own." Alison directed at Emily as she headed towards the front door.

Derek didn't stay long however, her merely came to make sure they were both safe and everything was to their liking, he also properly introduced Alison to the system and said that if at any point she objected to it anymore then he would have it uninstall.

"I'm sorry to put the system on without telling you, I considered it a part of the security at the time but now I see it as a bit of a biased decision because my brother did create it." He said as he made his way to the front door.

"Its fine, I kind of like it." Alison shrugged again.

"Okay perfect, well your first day back on set is Tuesday so you've got the rest of today and tomorrow to get adjusted and have some fun." He smiled. "I'll be there around eight thirty but I think your call is seven."

"Yeah. I spoke to the new director briefly the other day, she seems cool so I'm happy for an early start to get back into it all."

"Excellent, well I shall see you Tuesday. Good to see you again Emily." Derek said his goodbyes before disappearing into his Mercedes and backing out of the driveway.

"Hey guy," Av's voice came from above them at the camera sitting in the corner of the roofing. "Watch this." She said with a sort of chuckle and suddenly Derek came to a stop at the gate, it was locked and not opening for him, he stuck his head out the window and looked at Alison and Emily who were snickering childishly.

"Av! Open the gate you ass or I'll come up there and shut you off myself!"

" _Oh_ he's pulling out the big cards, alright spoil sport." She said and the gate opened again.

The rest of that day had been exhausting, both Emily and Alison had spent it unpacking their essentials like clothing and after that spent some time adjusting the furniture to fit their liking.

They ordered food from a small Chinese restaurant that Alison said she ordered from all the time, under a fake name obviously, and when it was getting delivered Emily went out of the front gate to get it. Though people knew who she was, she had a beanie on that night and her hair was in a loose ponytail – she was basically another person, apparently. They were both so tired after the flight and moving everything that they were in bed by nine and their usual kiss goodnight that usually lead to something else ended in cuddles and snoring. They were both way too tired to move.

"I wanted to try and make our first night here special..." Alison began with a yawn. "But I'm so tired."

"It's okay, I'm pretty out of it." She said as she kissed Alison head that lay contently against her chest.

"Tomorrow night." Alison replied and reached for Emily's hand that was holding her at the waist, kissing it softly she let her eyes close to the sound of the brunette's heart beat against her ear.

Emily had been stirring in her sleep all night, though it hadn't been bothering Alison until the brunette started mumbling – she hasn't done that since she had broken her collar bone – but deciding to give her some time to adjust Alison didn't wake her, in fear it may aggravate her.

"No..." Emily whispered huskily and Alison's ears jumped at the desperation of her tone. "...please..." She continued and that was enough for Alison to sit up and let her hands reach for Emily's cheeks, though she only twitched away in her slumber. From what Alison felt, Emily was hot and sweaty, so to assist in any way she could in the pitch black room with the only light helping her was the light glow of her laptop indicating that it was charging, she moved the covers off Emily's now twitching body. Moments later though the brunette's hands began searching for the covers as a form of refuge and Alison returned them to her chest.

"Em?" She tried but she knew it was hopeless trying to communicate with Emily while she was in the state that she was in – without waking her anyway. "You're safe." She murmured sweetly but Emily just tossed her head to the side as though she had been slapped. Her movements were becoming enough reason for Alison to lean off to the side and switch her bedside table light on. As the light flooded into the space of the room and lit up Emily's face Alison instantly saw how absorbed in her dreams – nightmares – she was. Her face was almost dripping with sweat and her eye lids were flicking rapidly and squinting as if she was discomfort. Alison didn't know what to do. She didn't want to wake her in fear of scaring her but it seemed before she had time to make a decision the brunette's eyes darted wide open and she gasped while sitting up and leaning forward all at once. Her hand was at her neck as if to massage an injury and her eyes were quick to analyses the room. Alison didn't know the exact moment she had sat up and moved to comfort Emily since it had all happened so quickly but the brunette twitched when she felt her hands against her, she moved away as if Alison's touch burnt her. After a second of adjusting and allowing her eyes to come to a complete focus on Alison's Emily took a breath and tried her best to slow her almost uncontrollable breathing.

"Are you okay?" Alison asked after some time had passed and tested the brunette by placing her arms around her waist, this time her touch wasn't rejected but instead welcomed as Emily seemed to fall into her touch. "Baby, talk to me, are you okay?" Alison whispered desperately when Emily didn't speak, and even after her plea she only managed a small nod.

"What happened?" Alison questioned a few moments later – deciding that the brunette may have just needed a few minutes to compose herself.

"I dreamt... Paige was... Here... She found me and..." Her words drifted away, fear very evident in her voice and Alison felt her hands tighten protectively around her frightened girlfriend. All this time they had been either focusing on moving or Alison's remission, not once had she even thought to ask how Emily was handling the issue with Paige and her disappearance – mostly because she had made it out that she was fine – though that wasn't an excuse to not ask.

"You're okay; she's not going to find you. And she's definitely not going to hurt you." She said as she lifted her hand to Emily's that was still protectively massaging the space around her neck.

"She was..." Emily's voice faded and her head fell to Alison's shoulder in helplessness. "She was touching... you when I couldn't stop her..."

"Who was touching me? Paige?" Alison asked one question at a time but Emily seemed lost to another world, which only made more questions pop up.

"No... Alyssa." Emily murmured and she looked up at Alison with sad eyes. "She was touching you... Taunting me when I was... Weak." Emily's eyes twitched around nervously but her head remained against the blondes shoulder.

"Why were you weak baby? Was Alyssa with Paige?" She asked when Emily's hand went to her throat again but suddenly Emily's hands were clutching protectively at her waist and seconds later the blonde's back was against the mattress with a puffing brunette above her. She had no time to question Emily, she didn't even really have time to be confused as the brunette's lips began hastily exploring the surface of her neck as if she had never touched it before.

"Em..." She tried to push Emily away so they could focus but the brunette always had a way with her lips – especially when they kissed that spot in the dip of Alison's neck and collarbone. "Baby." She tried again and Emily paused when she heard the hesitation.

"She's not allowed to touch you." Emily said protectively, almost as a growl.

"Now you see how I felt when Paige was kissing you." Alison pointed out and stretched her arms out from Emily's back and touched her face lightly. "Tell me what happened in your dream, so I can understand, then maybe we can continue this later when you have a clear mind and I know what's going on." Alison said as she sat up, forcing Emily to move with her, though she kept hold of the brunette so she could not move from the straddled position on top of her. They hadn't sat like this before, usually it was reversed with Alison sitting on Emily's thighs – Alison kind of liked it and her smile must have been showing it.

" _Or_ we can continue it now." Emily giggled as she moved strays of her long thick brown hair away from

"It was weird okay? It was like one minute Paige was holding me down and chocking me while Alyssa and you were kissing and... Doing stuff. It was like they were working together but were the same person. I can't explain it."

"Alyssa and I were kissing?" Alison questioned – surprise obvious in her tone – and Emily shrugged shyly before nodding. "I was enjoying it?" Emily nodded again. "Emmy, she means nothing to me, it's my job. _Please_ believe me when I say that."

"I do, it's just hard thinking you're off to work one day and you'll be acting out a sex scene with her. Can't I be a little jealous?" Emily seemed to have calmed down significantly, which pleased Alison obviously but she still felt bad her brunette was having a nightmare about her and Alyssa.

"You're allowed to feel whatever you want baby, but you get the real deal. She gets awkward kissing in a fake shower or bed with lots of people staring and constantly interrupting to make sure it's all perfect for filming. Trust me there's nothing romantic about it. We constantly have people telling us what to do and how to do it."

Emily seems to sit and think for a long time, and when she finally focused back on Alison a small smile slipped onto her lips.

"So, I'm the real deal?"

"Of course you are Em! I couldn't want anyone else more."

"I never doubted that you love me Ali, I just find it hard sometimes knowing someone else is touching you, especially since that someone else seems to have feelings for you."

"Trust me, I don't enjoy it." Alison scoffed and Emily smirked, she noticed the brunettes hands making a slow journey up her legs – which was becoming exceedingly distracting until she realised they had talked in detail about Emily's nightmare – she had done what she was told because she wanted to and the relief that Alison suddenly felt wash over her made her realise how much Emily trusted her. "What?" She mumbled shyly, Emily's smile somewhat surprising her.

"This is probably a bad insensitive joke but it looks like you like it." Emily chuckled, and Alison was sure if Emily was saying it seriously she would've gotten offended quickly, but instead the playful banter made her chuckle before rising up to meet the brunette's slightly parted lips that had been distracting her greatly. Touching them together lightly she felt Emily's stray hand move around to her shoulders and push her down the bed, she felt the usual butterflies as the brunette kissed her, touched her. It was always so perfect but she still didn't know if it was appropriate, she had never been in this situation and thus for nothing normal to compare too – but at the same time nothing about her life would ever be normal.

"Well, if I'm going to be completely honest I'm always going to prefer real sex with you than fake sex with Alyssa." Alison joked in return as Emily's lips strayed away from her own.

"Oh good," The brunette began sarcastically with a smile. "I was a bit worried there for a moment."

"You're such a smart ass..." Alison began but she was quickly silenced by more kisses. "And I love it." She puffed, she suddenly felt Emily's hands moving to her shirt and then it was off and out of sight.

Neither of them felt tired anymore.

 _ **Hey everyone I apologise for how long it's been, the last two months haven't been that good for me, I won't bore you with the details but I think I'm going to finish this story up soon, I'm not really getting a whole lot of reviews and I feel like it's because it's no longer a good story. I know it's also because I take my time updating but life gets in the way – as you all know. Anyway, sorry this chapter isn't very long but I hope it was enjoyable none the less.**_

 _ **-Aemstar**_


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

A week had passed and Emily still wasn't used to LA, not that a week was a long time but she thought she might have grown accustom to a secondary form of intelligence living in her house, Av was funny she had to admit but she couldn't tell if the presence freaked her out or astonished her – after a week of living with the computer she decided it was a healthy combination of the two. Alison felt the same though they hadn't really spoken about it, mostly because they had been so busy with unpacking the rest of their things – that was what Emily spent most of her days doing. She supposed she would have felt bored by now but Alison had so much stuff she thought she'd be busy until the next Christmas.

"Emily?" Av called, breaking Emily's chain of random thoughts.

"Yeah Av?" She replied though she didn't look up from the boxes of Alison's old trophies she had been sorting through – she would say snooping but Alison said she was more than happy to go through any box, so she did.

"Are you hungry? You haven't eaten today and it's almost two."

"I had a coffee this morning with Ali before she went to work."

"Okay, well as a computer I'm going to assume you think I think coffee counts, girl I can Google anything."

"I guess I haven't been hungry smart-ass, but now that you mention it I am a bit peckish."

"You're welcome." Av said with a chuckle and Emily rolled her eyes before standing from the floor and making her way to the kitchen. She searched through their almost empty fridge and pulled out the leftover of the pizza they had the night before. As she waited for it to heat up her eyes wondered to the corner of the room where she assumed Av was watching from.

"Hey Av?" She cleared her throat.

"Yes Emily?"

"Theoretically, if you wanted to buy someone something for a special occasion, but said someone kind of has everything, what would you get them?"

Av was quiet for a moment as she processed Emily's question, after all she was a computer, no matter how much sass she had.

"Well, I suppose it depends, being that I have no money to acquire a gift as such and physically I'm, well you know…"

"A computer, right so say you were… um…" Emily stumbled for a few moments before Av decided to interject.

"You?"

"Right, me. What would you do?" Emily answered quickly as she turned around to pull the heated-up pizza out of the microwave.

"Would this gift be for Alison?" The brunette paused momentarily at the question before taking a bite out of her pizza and looking up at the camera once again. "Don't worry I won't tell."

"Yes, it's our… anniversary soon, and I wanted to get her something but I don't know what, she basically has everything."

"She didn't have everything when she met you." Av pointed out philosophically and Emily paused her chewing before swallowing loudly.

"That's different." She mumbled softly, though she knew the computer had a point.

"You know I'm right but whatever. So why did you pause before anniversary?" Emily was glad she hadn't been chewing on some pizza that moment because she felt she probably would've choked – she knew it was dramatic but whatever the case, she was glad.

"It's kind of complicated." She noted dismissively and Av was silent for a few moments, giving the brunette a safe amount of time to take another bite from her food.

"Okay, I shan't ask, instead we shall focus on a present." The computer finally spoke again, the silence had made Emily nerve, could she break a prototype with a question?

"I don't have a lot of money… But I wanted to buy her something, something that she can wear all the time so I'm always with her."

"That's sweet, what do you have in mind?"

"Um, well a necklace is cool I guess but she already has one that she likes to wear a lot, same with a bracelet."

"What about a ring?" The computer questioned casually and Emily remained silent for a moment too long.

"I wanted to save a ring for a more… special occasion." She stated shyly before finishing the last of her pizza and placing the dirty dishes in the sink. She slowly washed it up, her silence remained for a long time and Av didn't seem to want to speak – it was as though she was waiting for Emily to continue but the brunette didn't know what else to say. She was mildly embarrassed about what she had just admitted to a computer, despite its human like behaviour and superior intelligence she still was a computer – Emily didn't know why she hadn't just called Hanna for an opinion – that was until she realised how hard it was for the blonde to keep her mouth shut. "I'm sorry, I was just never any good at the gift thing." She murmured almost five minutes later after spending that time aimlessly washing her now very clean plate.

"It's okay, sorry I was looking up some local jewellery stores, browsing their websites and what not. Maybe we could go for something subtle, like a watch? That way you can get it engraved as well."

"That's not a bad idea." Emily said gratefully. "I'll probably need to call Mason, I don't think I can really go gift shopping for Ali yet by myself, I haven't even really left this house."

"Well I suppose the good thing about that is you and I have really gotten to know one another." Av said happily and Emily let loose another chuckle before pulling out her phone and dialled Mason's number, he answered after two rings.

"Emily? Is everything okay? Are you alright?" He answered in a panic.

"Woah Mason, calm down, I'm fine." She said quickly to calm him. "Why are you so freaked?"

"Oh, I uh… it's hard for me not to… work. So, what's up?" He lightened instantly and seemed happy to hear Emily's voice.

"I wanted to go shopping but I didn't know how to go about it, can I just go? Or, what?"

"You're allowed to go whenever you want, you're not imprisoned but what are you worried about?" Mason seemed confused by the question until her thought about it a little longer, Emily had never been one for asking silly questions. "What kind of shopping?"

"I want to get Alison a present."

"Okay… um… what kind of present?" He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Oh god Mason, no… goodness wow." She gasped and chocked at the same time when she realised what Mason was inferring, she hadn't even thought about sex-toys since her and Alison had last talked about it.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have sounded so judgy. I didn't mean too, gosh sorry." He stuttered with embarrassment before placing the corner of his phone against his forehead in angst. _Good one_ , he thought to himself.

"It's okay," Emily began and she cleared her throat to force herself to continue. "I just wanted to get her something for our anniversary. Like jewellery." She clarified quickly and Mason loosened up again, she could almost hear him relax through the phone and it made her laugh.

"Okay well I'm actually kind of glad you asked me about jewellery shopping because certain things we like to keep out of the media and I'm sure they'd turn jewellery shopping into something overly outrageous." He stated matter-of-factly before pausing and thinking to himself. "Unless… you were after something… outrageous?"

"I wasn't planning on proposing just yet." She replied with a laugh.

"Okay, well my wife was about to go out with some friends, I was going to take her and wait around until she was done, I can take you shopping if you'd like?"

"Sounds good, I'll just go get ready and Av will tell me when you're out the front."

"Perfect, see you soon."

-x-

Mason had always been good at making sure media stayed away from Alison, Emily knew that, and his efforts didn't fault once when it came to her either. They hadn't spent too long shopping, Emily didn't know exactly what she was after until about ten minutes of browsing through a large range of gold and diamonds she came across a small gold Eifel Tower charm, she bought a bracelet to match and then left, she thought it was perfect – she was just hoping Alison would feel the same. It hadn't cost her much which made her feel cheap but it was enough to let her look at her savings account on her phone once she was back in the car. Mason had talked to the staff at the jewellery store and they hadn't even thought to talk to the media – apparently, it was part of their policy – not that Emily was worried, in the end she knew what being in a relationship with Alison meant.

"I think it's cute." Mason said when he stopped the car in the driveway. Emily had been quiet for most of the trip and he sensed it may have been because she was concerned about money, the only sensible thing he felt he could do was encourage the fact that she had gotten Alison a gift at all.

"Yeah? Do you think she'll like it?"

"The moment you saw it, I saw on _your_ face she's going to like it." He smiled before getting out of the car and opening the door for her, she had never really liked him doing this and usually she was out of the car before he had the chance but today she was staring at the charm bracelet that was gift wrapped in a small box.

"I don't think I've ever seen you so nerve, I wonder what you're going to be like when it _is_ a ring."

"Proposing would be different, I think. I don't know, I never… thought about it." She murmured as she got out of the car, still looking down at the gift box. "Would it be weird to propose now? We technically haven't even gone out for an entire year."

"Weird? No, I don't think so. There's no real _right_ way to do that Emily." Though what he said was insightful it didn't seem to help Emily at all. "If it makes you feel any better I proposed to Lillie after six months."

"Really?" She finally looked up from the small box as she pulled out and was instantly imagining a ring instead. It's not necessarily that she hadn't thought about it but more hadn't spoken about it to anyone, she was sure she would've gone to her parents about it, or at least Hanna, but not once had she even uttered the words proposal. She didn't know if it was her place to ask, didn't know if she could ask, and if she did what would Alison say, how would she react. Was she being irrational thinking about it seriously now? It wasn't as though it was out of the blue but everything was different when you dated a celebrity. Alison hadn't even been working on her movie for a full week, did she need to give the blonde more time? Should she wait until Alison was finished? She didn't know the answer to these questions and she was sure neither did her parents or her best friend.

"Yeah, really, and we're still married – happily too. Considering everything she's been through, considering I wasn't home a lot. It was hard for her but it was all worth it. I'm not saying you must propose now, I'm just saying if you think it's right, or it feels right then it probably is right. Trust your feelings Emily, they've never been wrong when it's come to Alison before, right?"

"I guess you're right but what about the media? Wouldn't Alison have to be concerned with that?"

"There comes a point in a relationship, especially one such as yours where you must forget about such things. One day Alison won't be so media focused, that could be thirty seconds from now or thirty years from now, I doubt it would be thirty seconds but my point is you don't want to wake up one day and realise you missed all those opportunities any normal couple would have. Because at the end of the day, you still are a normal couple." Mason said with a soft smile and Emily aimlessly played with the small ribbon sitting on the outside of the box, she knew Mason was right and she had always known that in the back of her mind but for some reason she just needed someone to say it out loud for her.

"Thanks Mason." She said gratefully, once again looking up from the present. Mason had a very warm smile and she immediately felt herself relax, whatever she chose she knew she had time and now with Alison cancer free they both had all the time in the world.

"Go on, we can do ring shopping another time." He chuckled. "I think she should be home by now, filming wasn't supposed to take up too much of her day today. But it is already close to five so I don't know."

"Thank you again, Mason." Emily gave him a hug before walking up to the front door, pulling her keys awkwardly out of her pocket as she tried to open the front door. The afternoon was cool, but she couldn't tell if that was just because the tall trees and hedges provided the perfect amount of shade or if it was just cool. Now that she looked at the front yard she noticed how cosy it was, though it still had it secluded security she felt a sense of home looking at it. The grass looked soft and luscious, the trees were the same tall oak from Rosewood, she didn't even know that was possible but apparently, it was, there were beautiful flower bushes along the outline in front of the hedges and a small pond with a mini waterfall display. Emily had only looked at it once, with Alison, without the blonde she kind of felt weird to be outside – she hadn't known where she'd lost the confidence to leave the house but she knew she would have to get it back. Turning around after she finally unlocked the door she waved Mason goodbye as he backed out of the driveway, once he passed the gate she turned into the house and began her search for Alison.

"Hey Av." She stated as she placed her keys next to Alison's on the small table where the garage door was.

"Welcome back Emily, how did you go?"

"Good, I think, do you know where Ali is?" Emily looked up and down the hallway quickly before figuring asking the computer would be quick.

"Yes, she's just gotten out of the shower I believe."

"You better not be watching my girl while she's naked." Emily joked with a chuckle as she made her way to the master bathroom.

"Wouldn't think of it." Av joked along before falling silent.

"Babe? I'm home." Emily called and made her way into their bedroom – being sure to place the small box in her back pocket and out of sight.

"Hey baby." Alison said happily as she walked out of the bathroom that was connected, she was in her dressing gown and her hair was wrapped in a towel.

"There's my gorgeous girl, how was work?" She felt her spirits lift the moment her eyes fell upon Alison.

"Eh long, Alyssa was being extra conflicting today." The blonde replied with a small groan as she moved into Emily's small kiss on the check.

"Conflicting? That doesn't sound good." Emily wanted to pull Alison into a kiss but she felt the blonde wasn't really in the mood so she didn't push.

"She was just fucking around, wasting time. It was frustrating. Anyways, enough about her, how was my beautifully gorgeous girlfriends' day." She asked as she unwrapped her still damp hair from the towel and starting hand drying it.

"You know, you swearing is kind of sexy." Emily giggled before placing her hands on Alison's waist, gently pulling her closer.

"Is that so?" Alison said with raised eyebrows and Emily shrugged innocently.

"I suppose it's because your media persona is portrayed as sweet and innocent, the perfect role model."

"Hmm." Alison mused quietly and she lifted her eyes to meet Emily's while slowly wrapping her arms around the brunette and slipping her hands down the small of her back. "Derek does a good job at making me look so innocent, considering I'm pretty far from it." She laughed. "What's this?" The blonde quirked an eyebrow again when she felt a hard object in Emily's pocket when she attempted to grab her butt. The brunette cleared her throat before stepping out of her hold and pulling out the small box.

"I um… got you something." She said shyly. "It's nothing special, and it wasn't really that expensive. But… I don't know, I thought you might like it."

Alison took the box with a smile and blushed a little.

"You didn't have to get me anything." She held the box tightly, grasping to the symbolising it represented. Emily had gotten her something, when she didn't have that much money, she knew the brunette was looking for work but right now she was still getting used to LA and that meant moving out of her comfort zone to go looking for a present.

"It's… for our anniversary. Well… the day we met anyways." She looked down shyly.

"You remembered." Alison's blush grew before taking the brunette's chin with her finger tip.

"Well it would be kind of weird if I did considering its our entrance code."

"It has been a long week baby, I would understand if you forgot." Alison shrugged before quickly opening the small box. Even she felt her eyes light up when she saw the small charm bracelet sitting innocently in the box. "Oh Em! It's beautiful." She smiled as she quickly put the bracelet on.

"Do you like it?" The brunette questioned shyly as she moved some stray hair away from her hair.

"I love it." She giggled before quickly taking it out of the box to put it on straight away, Emily watched quietly as she did so and the brunette felt that she had done well in terms of choosing a present – Alison lit up face after a long stressful day said it all. "Thanks baby." The blonde giggled again and then wrapped her arms around Emily's neck while kissing her check. "I'm sorry though, I didn't get you anything. I didn't know we were doing presents, I'm officially the worst girlfriend ever." Emily shrugged before pulling the blonde away to look at her.

"I don't need anything as long as I've got you."

"Well that's very sweet but you got me something." She replied with a hint of guilt in her voice.

"It's okay." Emily began and took Alison's arm, guiding her to the loungeroom she sat on the comfortable black leather and pulled the blonde to sit above her in their now what would seem to be their favourite position. "I'm happy with _other_ presents." She whispered while reaching up to kiss the beautiful blonde above.

"Well I can't disappoint you on our anniversary, can I?" Alison whispered through their kissing and moments later her shirt was off and thrown to the side.

Emily had just gotten out of the shower when the sweet aroma of Alison's cooking filled her nose, she couldn't tell what it was by just smelling but she could tell she liked it. Alison hadn't showered yet but she had changed into a pair of slacks and one of Emily's shirts since the brunette had entered the shower. She looked cute and Emily always liked that look on her the most, she didn't really know why since she had seen Alison in some amazing dresses, she had seen her dressed up or even casually dressed – or perhaps her second favourite, had seen her completely naked but for some reason she loved Alison in slacks and her t-shirt. She guessed it was because the blonde was in _her_ t-shirt, it was slightly too big and sagged around her hips she guessed it was because it was a reminder that Alison was hers, and no one else's.

"That smells amazing." Emily whispered in the blonde's ear as she walked up behind her and wrapped her arms around her waist to cuddle her at the kitchen bench.

"Nothing special, just stir fry."

"I'm not complaining, it smells great gorgeous." Emily kissed her neck before stepping away to finish drying her hair.

"It won't be much longer so why don't you go get changed while I serve it up?" Alison smiled innocently. "Not that I don't mind you in just your robe but I don't think I'll eat dinner if you're sitting across me dressed in just that."

"We could always go for round two." Emily shrugged playfully as she placed the towel she was using the dry her hair over her shoulders so she could move back to Alison for a kiss.

"Hold on killer, I practically _slaved_ away on this stir fry, we're eating it." Alison chuckled as she turned around to press her index finger against Emily's convincing lips.

" _Fine_ ," Emily began sarcastically. "I'll go get dressed." She pretended to slouch and mop away but she was quickly interrupted by Alison tapping her butt playfully as she left.

"Don't hate me baby." She giggled before turning back to the stir fry.

Emily was changed in no time but by the time she was back in the kitchen Alison had already served them plates and had a glass of red wine waiting for them.

"Wine hey? I haven't see you drink that in a while."

"Well I figured I'd spoil us both, we are celebrating after all." Alison seemed distracted but not enough for Emily to question it, first with dinner and the blonde denying her a second round, not to say that being denied was unreasonable since she had made dinner but Emily just assumed it was a combination of a long day as well. She helped the blonde take the food and drink to the table before pulling out her chair, allowing her space to sit down as a beautifully sweet gesture.

"Ma'am." She nodded her head politely and Alison smiled before making herself comfortable.

"Why thank you madam."

After Emily sat down she waited, as she always did, for Alison to start eating – she didn't know why but it had become a subconscious habit to wait for the blonde, even sometimes when they were eating she would pause and watch her. Again, she didn't know why. Sometimes she was worried Alison would think it strange but whenever she caught the brunette looking she would just smirk and wink before continuing. Alison liked Emily watching her, she didn't really understand why, but she liked it. It wasn't an invasive but instead innocent, her brunette was so perfectly innocent in her own way – only ever being "not so innocent" at the _perfect_ time.

They were half way through dinner when Alison stopped to sip at her wine, Emily noting that her hands were shaking ever so slightly but she assumed it was again because of her long day, the blonde was still adjusting to long work days after her treatment – it was proving to be difficult to get back into the routine.

"Are you okay?" She decided to ask anyway, in case the blonde was hiding something from her.

"Yeah baby, I'm just tired." Alison replied after putting her wine glass down and placing her hands lazily on her lap.

"Well then, an early night tonight for us I think."

"Em, it's our anniversary."

"I don't need a special date to make a night special. There's always tomorrow, or the day after, or next week. Whenever you're not tired. That's the perfect thing about a relationship and _that's_ why I want to celebrate an anniversary, because it symbolises the fact that I have that freedom with you whenever we both shall please." She stood from the table and picked up her plate, as she picked up Alison's she lightly kissed her forehead before smiling sweetly. "I'll clean up tonight, why don't you go have a shower and get to bed?"

"Okay." The blonde smiled in return and then Emily made her way into the kitchen. Placing the plates carefully on the counter top she went to turn on the hot water when she noticed a small black velvet box in the sink. Picking it up slowly she began observing it, taking in its detail, but the only information she got was it was a small black box. Her curiosity getting the better of her she opened it and when her eyes fell upon what was inside she felt them widen in shock.

"You didn't seriously think I'd really not get you something, did you?" She heard Alison ask from behind her and when she turned around she was met with the blonde kneeling down before her.

"Oh my god." She whispered as Alison took the box from her hand.

"I need to ask you something…" The blonde began slowly and Emily could already feel tears welling in the corner of her eyes. "I know we've only known each other a year, and for four months of that time I had stupidly left you but you came back to me when I didn't deserve it. You showed me I could be loved and that I could love again. I know, I will never want anyone else as much I want you. I know I will never love anyone as much as I love you. I know I'm meant to be with you, forever, if you'll have me." She turned the box around and presented to the brunette with a sweet smile. "Emily Catherine Fields, will you marry me?"

Emily almost burst into tears the moment Alison asked her but instead she felt her body shake with a happy sort of laugh.

"Yes, yes of course I'll marry you." She almost screamed in delight and happily Alison took the ring for its box and took Emily's hand, before sliding the it on she lightly touched Emily's fingers with her lips and again after the ring was on. "Oh my god." Emily said again as she looked at the ring more carefully, by this point Alison was standing again, her eyes lit and her face happier than the brunette had ever seen.

"Do you like it?" She asked shyly.

"You got it for me, of course I do, I love it."

"Perfect." Alison whispered and before she could say another word Emily's lips were against her own and she was wrapped into a passionate embrace.

"I love you, god I love you so much."

"I love you too, Em." They stayed embraced for a while, happy to do nothing more than just hold each other but a after few moments Emily finally let Alison go to give her a curious look, her eyebrows raised and her lip twitched up slightly.

"Are you actually tired?" She questioned when she noticed the blonde looked significantly more rested than a few moments before at dinner.

"You know I am an actress, right?"

"Wow, okay you had me fooled." Emily chuckled.

"That was the point, baby." She whispered into the brunette's ear before slowly leading a trail of kisses down her neck, giving Emily a shiver.

"So, we're really engaged?" Emily asked with a giggle, she felt giddiest, she felt excited, she felt many things but what hit her the most was the feel on the gold ring that sat perfectly on her finger.

"We're really engaged." Alison chuckled in return when she heard the excitement in fiancé's voice. Moments passed and then Emily's lips were on hers again, this time even more passionate than the last, she felt the brunette's hands travel to her waist and push her against the closest wall in a heated fever. She melted in Emily's touch and let her take control, she felt her heart skip a beat at the dominance and she was sure in that moment she would do whatever the brunette asked of her. However, Emily didn't speak, she merely guided Alison towards the bedroom through ragged breathing and more heated kissing.

As they reached the bed Alison felt her back fall against it and in the same minute Emily was above her, being quick to rid of her baggy shirt and slacks. She rose quickly and sat at the edge of the bed while the brunette made herself comfortable on her lap with her legs either side, they had both really began to favour this position. She busied herself with Emily's shirt and quickly threw it aside, she didn't bother waiting to rid of the brunette's slacks and rushed straight to touching her through the fabric, she wanted to hear Emily moan and she wanted to be the cause of it.

"Oh Ali." She whispered as she titled her head back in a state of euphoria as Alison's skilful hands moved against her.

"I love hearing you moan, Em." Alison said breathlessly, the sound of Emily's pleasure exciting her to the point where she could _feel_ her heart beating faster. As they continued, as Emily's moans began louder and less controlled, Alison didn't hurry herself. In fact, she seemed to enjoy the fact that no matter how much Emily grinded against her she didn't make hast in removing her pants or moving their actions further, she merely enjoyed watching Emily grow frustrated and ache for more. "You remember how I asked you about using toys?" She whispered in the brunette's ear.

"Yes." She replied breathlessly while ducking her head into Alison's shoulder. "Are you still opened to the idea?" She felt Emily nod while moaning, it was sexy beyond all reason but she couldn't tell if the brunette was physically ready or not, there was a difference between wanting it in the moment and being ready for it, she knew that and she didn't want to push it. They had the rest of their lives to try things like that, so she decided not to bring it up again that night. She had always been happy with how they made love, the idea of toys was interesting and it excited her but she knew there was never any rush. She loved the feel of Emily coming underneath her or in this case above her, the way her body shuttered and shivered in ecstasy because of her hand, she would never give that up – that was for certain.

-x-

The next day Emily awoke to Alison's naked body wrapped around her own, it was perfect and she couldn't help the smile form on her lips. As she stretched out her left arm the sparkle of the diamond on her engagement finger caught her eye in the morning light, giving her the incentive to look at it closer. It was a beautiful large single stone centred perfectly in six claws, from what she could tell it was a very traditional style, not that she knew much about jewellery but she did know it wouldn't have been cheap, and not something she would be able to afford if she were to buy for Alison.

"Good morning." She heard Alison call from what felt like a distance.

"Good morning." Emily said as she looked down at her beautiful fiancé. "How is it possible for someone to look so stunning in the morning?" She questioned as she looked deep into the blonde's eyes.

"Funny, I was about to ask the same thing."

"Too bad, I said it first." Emily claimed happily, before placing a gentle kiss against Alison's forehead.

"God, I love you." Alison whispered in reply as she leant up to kiss Emily, whose eyes sparkled more than the stone that sat perfectly on her finger. "So, Hanna's plane should be landing around lunch time, yes?"

Emily had completely forgotten that Hanna was coming, after everything that had happened over the last week not even including Alison's proposal, her mind had been so distracted that her best friend's arrival had completely skipped it.

"Shit, I forgot about that. Yes, I think her plane lands at about twelve thirty, assuming it's on time."

"I'll be at work until later this afternoon, we're shooting another scene on set so I don't have to travel far which is good. Should I treat you two to dinner? Or do you want some girl time?"

"I'm sure Hanna would love to see you." Emily pointed out. "I think she's secretly still obsessed with you." She chuckled and Alison joined in.

"What's not to obsess over?" The blonde shrugged with a giggle before rising from the bed, getting ready for the long day of work ahead of her by slowly putting on her silk robe.

"Can I tell her… about…" The brunette stuttered shyly from the bed, Alison turned around to face her, she had sat up against the frame with the sheets covering her.

"About that ring on your finger? Well I _suppose_ so, if you must." The blonde joked before sitting by Emily on the bed. "Of course, baby."

The sudden buzzing of Alison's room on the bedside table broke the moment, distracting them from their conversation, she apologised before reaching over and answering it.

"What Derek?" She questioned, her attempt to cover up her annoyance for being interrupted failed, which made Emily chuckle – which in turn made Alison smirk. "I'll be ready in ten minutes, Mason is out the front waiting for me already I assume then?" She asked with a sigh while standing and heading towards the window, being sure to clutch to the fabric of her robe to ensure it was fully closed when she poked her head around the curtains in search of Mason. "She said yes." Alison said with a smile when she turned around. Emily titled her head curiously and she was rewarded with a wink. "I'll see you on set and we can discuss it then. Bye." She hung up the phone quickly and made hast in getting changed, faster than Emily had ever seen her change.

"What was that all about?" The brunette asked curiously.

"A few of the benefactors demanded they watch a few takes of today's shoot. But they have a busy day and apparently have the right to make me start an hour earlier than originally organised." She was already dressed in jeans and a bra by the time she had finished speaking.

"Derek knew about you proposing?" Emily wasn't at all surprised by Alison getting called in for an earlier start, the blonde said it was something that occurred quite frequently.

"Well, he did help me with getting that ring without the media finding out. So yes, he knew and he was totally excited but pretended it was nothing. It was kind of adorable."

"I don't have to tell people, if it's a media issue?" Emily said shyly and Alison paused half way through buttoning up her shirt to walk over to the brunette who was mindlessly twiddling her thumbs.

"Baby, _tell people_ , I'm sure they'd rather find out from us than the internet or TV. Plus, the media will find out when we have a kick ass wedding, and I'm sure before all that someone will spill. I'm really surprised the guy I got to make you that ring didn't say anything but I think he sensed if I wasn't than at least Derek was serious."  
"You got this made?"

"Well of course, I wasn't going to give you a mass-produced ring from a shop window that someone else might have a copy of. My baby deserves the best." The blonde shrugged casually as she did up the final button of her blouse.

"I'm so lucky." Emily replied in a whisper as she stared at the sparkling ring on her finger.

"As am I. I'm sorry to leave you so early again, especially after such a wonderful night but when this movie is over you can have me all to yourself."

"I like the sound of that." She giggled before receiving a quick kiss from Alison before she rushed out the door.

"Get some more sleep! See you tonight, love you!" She called as she shut the door and Emily was left alone, she however did not feel lonely, especially not after last night. She was engaged, Alison really wanted her forever, no one else, just her. How could she ever feel lonely again after such a blessing? 

-X-

Her alarm was set for nine thirty, Alison had left at around seven and she had fallen asleep almost instantly after she'd lay back down. She didn't know how Alison had some much energy, and the blonde had just overcome cancer, so she had no excuse but when the buzzing of her phone woke her from her slumber Emily knew Alison was always good at wearing her out. As she lifted her phone up to press snooze she realised it was a private number, usually she wouldn't answer but being tired and still half asleep, her rational thought was still in dreamland.

"Hello?" She almost grumbled as she looked at the time on her phone, it was almost nine thirty anyway so she stretched out and began mentally preparing herself for the day as she dealt with what she assumed to be a telemarketer.

"Hello, my names Anita, I was wondering if Emily Fields was there?" The woman questioned on the other end.

"Speaking." She replied curiously and she sat up from the bed while running her fingers through her hair.

"Oh, apologises Miss Fields, as I said my names Anita, I'm calling on behalf of Wilson O'Donnell Lawyers and Accountants. How are you this morning?" The woman continued professionally and Emily instantly stood from the bed out of half surprise and habit.

"I'm good thanks, sorry, I wasn't expecting a call."

"That's quite alright Miss Fields, Mr O'Donnell was wondering if we could schedule an interview at some point?"

"Really? Yes! Absolutely." Emily had seen the job online and decided that she could always send through a resume and the worst that could happen was they say no, she didn't however expect them to be interested.

"Wonderful, well how does next Wednesday at nine sound? Mr O'Donnell is quite a busy man so this week is pretty much unavailable."

"No that's okay, next Wednesday at nine is perfect."

"Excellent, I will send you an email on the details and address. Thanks for your time Miss Fields."

"Thanks, and you too Anita. Have a good day."

After they finished the pleasantries Emily almost squealed with delight, she had honestly not expected any of the jobs she applied for to even look at her resume let alone call her back! Alison had been very supportive of all her job searching and she even sensed that the blonde felt a little bad that no one had ever called her back but she had only been in LA for a brief time. Though Emily had applied for a few jobs this was _definitely_ not the one she had been expecting to call back, this Law firm was combined with an accounting agency. She had googled their history and from what she could tell it was a big business which meant she could blend into the background easy enough while still earning a fair amount of money and now that she had an interview with them she was going to do some more research.

She wanted to tell Alison that second but she knew the blonde was preoccupied, so she held in her excitement and decided to make a coffee to pass some time.

Almost an hour had gone by before Emily decided to get dressed, she was sure that Hanna's plane was going to be late knowing her luck but after a coffee and a quick chat with Av on how to traffic was near the airport she decided to leave around twelve, giving her time to get there and for Hanna's flight to be delayed.

"Did you know Alison was going to propose?" Emily asked, her keys in her hand as she searched for her sunglasses, beside the case of the missing specs she was ready to go.

"Of course, I knew." The computer said proudly.

"So why enquire about me proposing?" The brunette questioned curiously as she continued to search/

"There's nothing more subtle than being completely obliviously obvious."

"Good point. Have you seen my sunglasses?" She sighed, being a little embarrassed that a computer had wittingly outsmarted her.

"I do believe you left them in the car, let me just check." She went silent for a few moments before quickly responding. "They are sitting on the dash of the Ferrari."

"Thanks Av. See you later."

"Connect your phone to the Bluetooth of the car, I'll direct you through the traffic."

"Okay. Miss Bossy." She chuckled.

Emily had never driven the Ferrari, she had always been too scared too but Alison had insisted and she knew when Alison insisted there was no winning. Even the keys looked expensive but she supposed that was a given if you were spending a fortune on the car. After she started the engine with a push of a button she began familiarising herself with the pedals, it felt like an eternity since she had driven _any_ car but she knew she would have to eventually if she got a new job.  
By the time she had pulled up at the airport she had already lost count of how many people had glanced at the car, and after she grabbed a parking ticket she had already noticed others glancing again – not at the car – but her. She had never really known how to be in public by herself after Alison, usually someone was with her, "protecting her" or just keeping people away. Not that she really needed that, it was more Alison that required the protection and though she had insisted someone go with her to pick up Hanna, _she_ had insisted the car was enough attention.

As she walked through the airport towards Hanna's gate she noticed how many people actually did notice her but she also noticed how many people were too focused on their own life to bother – she liked those people – but she still smiled at the people who had noticed her. She kept her hands in her pocket, afraid for some reason for her ring to see the outside world – or perhaps she was afraid of the outside world to see it, she wasn't ready for anyone else to know until her parents and her friends did.  
Not to her surprise Hanna's plane was late but thank goodness, she had been late herself – no thanks to LA traffic. By one o'clock however Hanna was making her way through the gates and towards her, the blonde's large grind matched her huge suitcase which made Emily laugh.

"Hey Han!" She almost squealed with excitement as she forgot where she was.

"Em!" The blonde's grin grew as she pulled Emily in for a tight hug – which was quickly returned. "You are already getting a badass tan from this place!"

"Thank you. Come on, let's get out of here. I'm sick of the stares."

"I'd be soaking it up. In fact, I shall cause people are already staring. Thank god I look amazing." They continued to talk all the way through the crowded airport and made their way slowly to the parking lot. "Wow, driving in style!" Hanna gushed happily as Emily put her suitcase in the boot of the Ferrari.

"You're lucky this car's boot is big; how much did you pack?" She puffed as she opened the door for Hanna.

"Okay, just because don't need to do much to look good doesn't mean I don't, especially with the company I shall be keeping for the next few days."

"Are you trying to upstage my fiancé?" Emily asked casually as she put her seatbelt on.

" _Never_ , how could I ever upstage Ali-" The blonde paused mid-sentence and mid action, she was about to click her seatbelt in when her hands froze and she snapped her head up to gaze at Emily with surprise. "Your what?"

"My girlfriend." Emily masked casually, hoping it would confuse Hanna and as she watched the blonde's eyes move from her face down to her left hand to investigate she enjoyed experiencing Hanna's facial expressions change when she figured out that she had indeed heard correctly.

"Oh my fuck!" The blonde squealed loudly as she released the seatbelt and let it fling back to into its spot. She grabbed Emily's hand and investigated the ring quickly before looking up at her again. "You… wait… oh my _god_! When? Ah! This is so exciting!"

"Last night, it was our anniversary and she made us dinner and pretended to be all tired and not in the mood to do anything and when I went to clean up there was a small box in the sink and then I turned around and she was on one knee."

"Oh my god, that is _so_ cute! Emily! You're engaged!" Hanna squealed happily while quickly pulling Emily into a tight embrace. "Come on, I'm treating you to an LA style coffee!"

"I didn't know there was a difference between LA coffee and Rosewood coffee."

"I assumed it was mostly the price." The blonde chuckled in returned before sitting back and putting her seat belt on. "Wow, these seats are super comfy."

"That's not even the best part." Emily stated as she turned on the car and waited for her phone to connected to the system. "Hey Av, can you check the traffic for me? And also send me to a decent coffee shop?"

"No problem Emily." Av replied and Hanna looked at the dash board curiously, though she didn't seem that amazed.

"So the car talks to you? I think the seats are better."

"Ouch, that hurts, now I don't think I'll ask for your name and just leave you in my system as 'GuestOne'."

"Av is more than just a car, but you'll find out about that later." The brunette quickly interfered before Av got any more defensive, not that it _really_ mattered but she could almost predict Hanna and Av squabbling like a pair of children.

-x-

"Okay, I've gotta admit even for the price, it's not bad coffee." Hanna said matter-of-factly as she and Emily walked aimlessly along Hollywood Boulevard, it was busy but not busy enough to be considered overwhelming, for Hanna at least. Emily had already gotten in the habit of leaving her left hand in her pocket for most of the time, she knew Alison didn't care but she did want to tell her parents first – which she planned on doing later that afternoon at their allocated Skype time. Hanna said she was happy to disappear while the call was going on, that was after she said a quick hello to Pam and Wayne.

"It's not hey? I haven't actually gotten one in LA yet, Ali makes pretty nice coffee. Plus I've barely left the house. Considering I don't really need too."

"You can always go shoppin… never mind."

"Actually, I went shopping yesterday for a present for Ali, got her jewellery and everything. Too bad her gift was a million times better."

"Oh hush, don't be silly, what did you get her?" Hanna waved her free hand.

"I got her a bracelet with a little Eifel Tower charm to match."

"Oh my goodness, that's adorable." They had made it back to the car a few minutes later and were ready to head back to the house.

"So how's the job hunt going?" Hanna asked as she put her seat belt on and this time it was Emily who was the one to pause mid-action. She was quiet for longer than what would be considered normal and it peeked Hanna's curiosity.

"I… um…" She cleared her throat before looking up at Hanna. "I had wanted to tell Ali first but as long you don't blab I can tell you."

"When have I ever blabbed?" Hanna asked defensively and Emily lifted an eyebrow at her. "Okay fine, but I've been pretty good since you started dating Alison."

"This is true." The brunette murmured as she finished putting her seat belt on and starting the car. "I applied for a few jobs but no one replied, I was kind of giving up but then this morning a girl called from Wilson O'Donnell Lawyers and Accountants and asked to see if we could arrange an interview. I'm going in next week."

"Em! That's awesome! Look at you go." Hanna smiled while playfully punching Emily's arm. "I'm so glad that after all that bad shit you went through with Paige, all the good stuff is happening now."

"Man, I haven't thought about her in ages." Emily mused thoughtfully as she drove the car.

"Have they found her yet?"

"No, I think it's really starting to piss Ali off too."

"They'll find her." Hanna said confidently but Emily had a tough time believing it, if they hadn't found her by now she was convinced they would never find her but before she vocalise her thoughts her phone began ringing through the Bluetooth, it was Alison so she didn't hesitate to press the answer.

"Hey, you're on loud speaker, I'm driving."

"Well hey there gorgeous, are you driving the Ferrari?" The blonde questioned and even through the phone Emily could hear the smirk on her face.

"It's not like I had a choice." She chuckled in reply.

"I'm not complaining." Hanna interjected a few seconds later.

"Hey Hanna, how are you? How was your flight?" Alison asked politely.

"It was bearable."

"You were in business class, how bad could it have possibly been?" Emily questioned sarcastically as she turned her head to look at the blonde beside her.

"They made my coffee wrong." She defended quickly.

"First world problems." The brunette said as she rolled her eyes.

"Well, at any rate I'm glad you're here safe and sound. Em, baby I'm going to be finished around five hopefully, will that be enough time for us to Skype your parents and then go to dinner?"

"I'll message them when I get home, but it should be, where are we going for dinner?"

"I got Derek to make a reservation at a nice restaurant in West Hollywood, Mason's picking us up around seven, anyway I've gotta get back to work but I'll see you when I get home, you too Hanna."

"Yeah, you'll definitely see me later." Hanna chuckled and Emily raised her eyebrow curiously but before she could question the blonde's strange sentence she heard Alison let out a little chuckle.

"Okay, keep her away from alcohol until I'm around, I don't want to miss any of the fun."

"Alison come on! We're already behind enough as it is." A shouting came from the background which was quickly muffled by Alison covering the phone slightly, though it didn't seem to do much since both Hanna and Emily heard the blonde retaliate.

"And that's Alyssa's fault not mine. I'll be there in a minute, get out of my changing room." She sounded stern and fierce, and downright terrifying – it would've made Emily laugh if she wasn't so offended that someone had just yelled at her fiancé.  
"Wouldn't wanna get on her bad side." Hanna mumbled quickly.

"No, you wouldn't," Alison began with a laugh as she returned the phone back to her ear. "Sorry guys, I'll see you later tonight."

"Okay bye." Emily and Hanna said in unison and the phone line went dead, clicking the hang up button on the dash the brunette sighed before turning off the busy highway they had been stuck on for most of the phone call, she was happy to see the traffic thin out immediately.

"She's quite bold, isn't she?" Hanna noted as she looked out the window and watched the scenery go by.

"Yes, but I would be concerned if she wasn't. I feel like they'd talk to her worse if she didn't get so serious."

-x-

Emily was exhausted by the time she had pulled the car up in the garage and gotten out. She had never been one for the city life but she knew it would just take some getting used to, she was amazed that Mason had done the driving around for Alison for so long.

"Welcome Emily, and Guest One." Av said as they walked through the door.

"Hey Av." Emily replied casually as she hung the keys on the hook by the garage door.

"Where the fuck did that come from?" Hanna said as she held her hand to her chest and took a deep breath to recover from the fright.

"Oh right, yeah I told you there was more to her. Av introduce yourself." The brunette said with a yawn as she stretched out her arms and made her way into the kitchen for a drink.

"Hello Ms Marin, my name is Avril, the Artificial Virtualisation Remote Intelligence Log. But you can call me Av for short."

"That was a lot of words for one sentence." Hanna swallowed timidly before taking the glass of water Emily had offered her. "How does she know my name?" She said as she leaned closer to Emily, in hopes the voice wouldn't hear her.

"I am a personal security system designed to assist in anyway possibly. My creator has programmed me with the latest in facial recognition software connected to my many security cameras spread throughout the house but mostly because Emily told me you were coming."

"She's funny." Hanna said as she perked up, immediately liking the sass that was programmed into the computer.

"Ms Marin, I will enter you into my system so when you walk around the house without someone who is already logged into the system I won't set an alarm on you."

"She doesn't have to keep calling me Ms Marin." Hanna directed at Emily who was leaning against the kitchen island in amusement, she was rather enjoying Hanna's reaction.

"Tell her that then."

After almost half an hour of Hanna conversing with Av, Emily officially found herself exhausted. She made herself comfortable in the living room with a cup of coffee as the blonde and the computer slowed down their conversation.

"I still like your coffee better than LA." Hanna said as she sipped at her own as she made herself comfortable at Emily's side.

"I think it's more Alison's coffee machine then me, but thanks."

"Nah that's not true, you always made a kick ass coffee back in Rosewood."

"Thanks, sorry today hasn't been super eventful, I'm kind of exhausted after driving in all that traffic."

"That's okay, I'm kind of tired after that flight. I'm happy to watch movies and chill out until dinner."  
"Okay awesome." Emily said with relief as she reached for the remote.

-x-

Emily wasn't sure when, but she had fallen asleep between movies and was awoken by lips on her own, her eyes fluttered open in surprise and she felt her lips stretch into a large grin.

"Hello sleepy head." Alison grinned in returned.

"Hi." She giggled shyly before placing her hand on Alison's cheek and pulling her into a kiss only to be interrupted mid-passion by Hanna clearing her throat.

"Look, I'm no prude but I just got here."

"Did you want a kiss too Hanna? Is that what this is about?" Alison chuckled playfully while stroking Emily's cheek before straightening up.

"How did you know?" Hanna laughed in return before standing and giving Alison a hug. "It's good to see you."

"And you." She said with a genuine smile. "Now what did you guys do that tuckered you out so much?"

"We're secretly old ladies and LA traffic was too much for us."

"You live in New York Hanna." Emily half raised her hand questionably before standing.

"Shut up, by the way," Hanna continued as she caught Emily's hand and put it in front of Alison's face. "You have _exquisite_ taste." She dropped Emily's hand as quickly as she had picked it up and pulled Alison into a tight hug. "Congratulations!"

"I'm sorry to interrupt but Emily your parents are about to call you on Skype." Av said politely and Emily looked subconsciously up at the closest camera.

"Thanks Av, can you please set up the computer in the study? We'll be there in a moment." As the three of them made their way towards the room both Emily and Alison had decided to be the study for no other reason than to fill it up with the furniture and books they didn't use that often.

"She even sets the computer up for you?" Hanna questioned with astonishment.

"Anything that's connected on the same network she can control."

"Well that is really cool." After Hanna gushed a little more about Av the sound of a Skype call broke them away. Emily sat down at the office chair and answered the call but before she could say hi Hanna was in front of the webcam greeting Pam and Wayne, who were happy to see her, and after almost ten minutes of conversation Hanna excused herself and disappeared, she had never really been a subtle kind of person but that didn't matter.

"Hi Mum, hey Dad." She said happily, finally pleased she could talk to her parents.

"Hi sweetie, how's the new house going?" Pam spoke first, she was sitting on the lounge holding Wayne's hand – tightly – Emily thought but didn't think much of it.

"It's good, I'll give you a grand tour one time but we've got dinner reservations later."  
"That's alright darling, hello Alison dear." Pam called as she looked passed Emily where Alison was standing, the blonde had been quiet for a while but she smiled lightly and walked to stand beside the brunette.

"Hey guys, how are you?" She said as she leant down slightly to get a closer look at the computer screen.

"Great thanks." Wayne answered this time, his hand twitched a little in Pam's and Emily's eyebrow lifted in curiosity but again she didn't take much notice.

"Do you want to sit down?" Emily said as she looked up and Alison smiled before sitting on her lap.

"Thank you." She said as she kissed Emily on the cheek and directing her attention to Pam and Wayne.

"Mum, Dad?" Emily began with a stutter, she didn't know why she was suddenly so nervous, she guessed it was because she was worried her parents wouldn't approve – or think it was too soon but when she looked up at Alison and got an approving wink she felt confident again. "Alison and I have something to tell you."

"What is it dear?" Pam asked and her voice slipped slightly but she recovered with a smile, it was as though she was covering a laugh and again Emily's eyebrows lifted in curiosity.

"Well, um…" She cleared her throat and lifted her left hand to the webcam. "We're engaged."

There was a tiny moment of silence before Pam released Wayne's hand and let out an excited shriek, causing Wayne and Emily to jump, Alison however just smirked proudly.

"Oh Emily!" She jumped from the lounge and moved closer to the device that they were calling them on and lifted it up in delight. "Congratulations!" She continued and she sat back down beside Wayne who was also smiling, it even looked like he was tearing up slightly, Pam however was already in tears of joy.

"Okay, wow, I wasn't expecting that." Emily chuckled before looking at the time on the computer screen, they still had a bit of time before they would need to get ready for dinner. As they talked, well as Emily spoke with her parents about the engagement and how it happened Alison looked at the brunette lovingly, the whole time thinking how lucky she was.

"I might go get ready for dinner sweetie, today was a long day and I'm dying for a shower, sorry to go guys but I'll let you talk with Emily. Talk to you later?"

"Of course, Alison dear, have a fun night." Pam replied and after saying her goodbyes Alison was gone.

"I thought you guys were going to be a little weird about this at first, to be honest." Emily said honestly after Alison was gone.

"Oh baby, don't be silly, she makes you so happy." Pam said happily. "We've been waiting all week, I thought she wasn't going to do it." She directed more at Wayne but Emily couldn't help her curiosity anymore.

"Wait, what? You knew?"

"She asked us for our permission and our blessing just after you moved." Wayne answered and took Pam's hand – that explained the tight hand holding before then, Emily thought.

"Really?" Emily felt herself blush, and a sudden admiration for Alison flushed over her but she didn't say much more and let her parents rave about how amazing her fiancé was, after that she told them about the job interview which reminded her that she had tell Alison the moment she had the chance. They were very proud and excited, but before they could continue anymore Emily realised she was running out of time to get ready and apologised for cutting the call short.

"We can talk more tomorrow okay?" She said apologetically.

"No problem honey, just send us a message when you're ready and we'll Skype again."

"Love you guys."

"We love you too Emmy, and congrats again." Wayne said softly.

"Thanks Dad."

After hanging up Emily made her way from the study and towards their bedroom, Hanna was in the second bathroom and would probably still be at least another twenty minutes getting ready so she went in search for Alison. The blonde had just gotten out of the shower and was getting dressed when Emily entered their bedroom, she let her eyes wonder over Alison's barely covered body, the bra and underwear combination the blonde had picked out complimented her body greatly and Emily was more than happy to stare.

"Hi." Alison giggled as she turned around. "How was the rest of the talk with your parents?"

"You asked them for their blessing?" Emily questioned as she made her way to the blonde who was standing in the wardrobe trying to figure out what to wear, she placed her hands on Alison's slim waist and played with the skin aimlessly.

"Well of course, I care about what they think. Though I must say I would still marry you regardless, I just think their approval is important, it means they like me."

"Hmm," Emily began, standing back slightly while looking Alison up and down hungrily. "How did I get so lucky?"

"You always say that." Alison shied away with a blush and turned to try and find an appropriate dress for the night, though Emily's hands reconnecting on her waist was making decisions difficult.

"Well I mean it." She whispered as she pressed her lips against the back of Alison's neck and let them trail to the side, sucking slightly at the sensitive skin before quickly kissing the area soothingly. In response Alison's hand went up around the back of her head and clutched to her hair before grabbing the brunette's free hand and placing it on the lace that covered her breast, moaning at the touch.

"You have no idea how much I need to continue this right now, especially after today, but we should get ready." She groaned before taking the hand that had been caressing her chest softly to her lips and kissing it softly.

"Later." Emily said with promise in her voice.

"Later." Alison agreed as she turned around and kissed Emily passionately.

 _ **Hey everyone! Sorry it's been so long, lots of changes going on in my life and it's taking a while to adjust – I'm not making excuses – just explaining. I hope this chapter was good and I'm super grateful for all the wonderful reviews, they've been really helpful! I think I was just having a tough time when I said I was thinking of finishing off this story, I wanna keep it going – but your suggestions are super appreciated so if you've got anything to offer send me a message or pop it in the reviews. Anyway, I hope you liked where this chapter went, let me know in the reviews.**_

 _ **Have a good day/ night wherever you lovely folks are :)**_

 _ **-Aemstar**_


	28. Chapter 28

_**Hey everyone, sorry this chapter isn't super huge I've kind of been having some blocks after the last episode, though everyone knew what was going to happen with Alison's pregnancy (I won't say specifics for spoiler reason – just in case) but for those who do know it's kind of been a bit of a turn off for my writing. Not that I'm giving up or anything! It's just been meh cause now all the anti-Emison people are spreading hate and it kinda sucks. So my moods been meh but my Emison fanfics will rise!  
Anyways enjoy :)**_

 **Chapter Twenty Eight**

"Maybe I should convince Caleb to move to LA? I like it so much better." Hanna said as she sipped at her coffee, she had been with Emily and Alison for a week, it was nice company mostly for Emily as Alison was a work a good percentage of the day. When both Hanna and Emily had recovered from the blonde's first day in LA they decided to go site seeing and shopping, Alison had organised Duncan to escort them while they were in public mostly for safety but also Alison needed Mason with her as she was travelling a lot more for work, not long trips but enough to make her go straight to bed the moment she got home.

"You love New York." Emily pointed out, her mind elsewhere.

"Yeah I know, but I do like seeing the sky sometimes."

"New York isn't that bad." The brunette chuckled as she took a large gulp of her coffee. "Well, maybe it is, I don't know, I never liked it enough to stay long enough to figure it out. Besides, isn't LA basically New York but on the beach?"

"True. But LA has my best friend."

"Well, I wouldn't move, Alison and I don't know what we're doing after she finishes filming this movie, for all I know we could be moving again. But don't tell anyone that."

"Really? Where would you move?"

"I think Ali would like somewhere quiet." Emily looked around for Duncan, he was walking not too far behind them and he gave her a quick smile before looking around the Mall, she wasn't quite sure why he was necessary but she never questioned Alison – and with Paige still on the loose it wasn't like she really wanted to object anyway.

"What about you? Where would you want to move?" Hanna questioned, oblivious to Emily's distractions.

"Um, I don't know, wherever Alison goes I'm happy." She shrugged, she felt on edge but didn't know why, perhaps it was Duncan's presence, or the fact that she felt like she was being watched. Well – she was always being watched when she was in public but it felt different that day, everything and everyone around her seemed on edge – except Hanna of course – she remained innocently oblivious.

"Aw that's so cute!" Hanna giggled and then threw her coffee cup in the closest bin, they had been walking around aimlessly, there no shops they particularly wanted to go in mostly because people would try and talk to them, Emily sensed that even Hanna was kind of fed up with the constant stares and questions, though the media lately had seemed to back of Alison, which Emily would've found interesting if she wasn't so happy she wasn't the centre of the news for once. "Man, I don't know how you do this whole shopping thing, it's starting to bug me with all the people staring."

"Really? I thought you would be soaking it up."

"I was but after day four I had kind of had enough."

"Don't worry, at least when you first came here the news was nice about you. I think Ali was worried they were going to try and conjure up some sort of affair."

" _Pfft_ , the media _wishes_ I was gay."

"Very funny." Emily rolled her eyes before looking back at Duncan again, he gave her a curious look before taking two extra large steps to catch up to them.

"Is everything alright Emily?" He asked with concern clear in his tone.

"Yes." She said as they continued to walk. "I think I'm just ready to go home, we've had enough shopping and site seeing for today." She looked over at Hanna for a sign that the blonde agreed with her.

"Yeah, I'm ready for some food, do you wanna get something on the way back?"

"It's almost four, can't you wait until dinner?"

"How dare you ask me to wait for food." Hanna said sarcastically before linking her arm in Emily's and pulling her outside into the late LA afternoon, it was slightly windy but not enough to bother either of them.

"I can grab you guys something small? Like some hot chips or something?" Duncan chipped in politely and Hanna looked up at him with grateful eyes.

"That sounds perfect thanks Duncan." After Duncan had escorted them back to the car he said he wouldn't be long and ventured back into the shops in search of some food.

"That guy is a keeper."

"Calm down now, Cece is all over that." Emily softly chuckled before putting her seatbelt on and sitting back in the comfortable leather seats of the Range Rover.

"Hmm, I wonder how she is with sharing." She hummed playfully before also making herself comfortable. "So, are you going to get Alison a ring?" She asked randomly and Emily turned around curiously.

"I was thinking about it and I want her to come with me, I'll never choose the right one, or the right size, I'll just do it all wrong."

"Fair enough, when do you plan to do that?"

"After my job interview I guess, I'm desperately hoping they'll take me. But Bill sent me a good recommendation letter, like… _really_ good."

"I'm glad he did the asshole, especially after firing you for such bullshit reasons, I bet it was a guilt letter."

"Well, whatever the case, after the job interview… I'm hoping."

"When is the interview anyway?"

"Wednesday."

"Damn, I won't be around to tease you and make you nervous." The blonde laughed. "Did you deliberately put it the day after I leave so that couldn't happen?"

"Don't flatter yourself," Emily began with a laugh. "They organised it, I just said yes."

"What did Alison say about it? I mean I know you told her a dinner the first night I was here, but she seemed very, uh, _excited_ , if you know what I mean?" Hanna said as she wriggled her eyebrows.

"No, I don't know what you mean." Emily replied as she lifted one eyebrow up in curiosity.

"Dude come on, she was super hyped and I _know_ her sex-drive is… well… easily influenced."

"Would you stop? How would you even know that?"

"Do you remember the very first time we met her? After you went to the hospital for you busted collar bone?" Hanna started proudly and Emily squinted her eyes as if she was trying to remember that specific day.

"Vaguely, I was very drugged up that day." She said with concern.

"Well, remember when we were in the car and she wanted to take you home with her?" Emily nodded and watched Hanna's smirk grow. "Let's just say you were very talkative."

"Oh my god." Emily groaned with embarrassment while covering her face, she could feel her cheeks burn as they blushed a bright red.

"In any case, I learnt things about Alison DiLaurentis that day. But anyway, my original question was, did you guys celebrate?"

"Hanna-" Emily began but suddenly the unlocking of the car stopped her and Duncan got in the driver's seat being sure to hand Hanna the hot chips before starting the engine.

"Thanks Duncan." She said with an innocent smile, Emily rolled her eyes and looked out the window, she didn't know if she wanted to continue the conversation with Hanna – she decided ignorance was bliss.

-x-

"You… seem… ve-very… dynamic… tonight…" Emily moaned as Alison pushed her down on the bed and attacked the bare skin of the brunette's neck with her lips.

"I'm sure you'll manage." Alison whispered seductively as she continued to suck gently at the brunette's skin. "You looked so sexy tonight." She continued as her hands made their way down Emily's body, being keen to unbutton the brunette's flannelette shirt as she went.

"Babe, I'm wearing jeans and a shirt, it's nothing exciting."

"It's exciting for me, it was making that dinner meeting a very challenging task." She growled hungrily as she pulled Emily to sit up so removing her now unbutton shirt was easier before quickly pushing her down again to continue a trail of kisses. "Besides I've finally got you all to myself again, don't get me wrong I love Hanna but I've desperately been aching for some alone time with you."

"We still had sex… when Hanna… was here." Emily tried to point out confidently.

"Yes, but you had to be quiet, not that I mind but I enjoy loud Emily much more." The blonde said as she traced her hands lightly over Emily's jeans – being quick to unbutton them as well – but not bothering to push the fabric down and instead just slipping her hand straight through.

"Oh… my god… Okay loud I can… do." Emily let her worries go and the logic of the night disappear, though she had never actually thought for a second that Alison had _even_ glimpsed at her during the evening, she seemed way too focused on what Derek was saying – which was obviously reasonable considering the movie was still being shot and it was important to pay attention. Though the topic of the night quickly moved from the movie to their engagement and the arrangements that needed to be made, mostly Emily just smiled and nodded, she didn't really mind as long as Alison was happy.

"I can almost hear you thinking, baby." Alison murmured, sitting up slightly. "Is everything okay?" She said sitting up.

"Yes, sorry. I'm sorry."

"We don't have too…" Alison began cautiously, feeling like she had somehow pushed Emily too far but before she could continue Emily took control and swapped them swiftly so she was hovering above the blonde.

"I _want_ too." She said with a hungry growl and flipped the two of them, taking complete control as she busied her hands with Alison's clothes, she was even quicker to slip her hands behind the blonde's back and undo her bra.

"Oh good." She shuttered quietly as Emily took control. A few moments of kissing and Alison could already feel herself getting excited, she had never felt so complete with her, with Emily above her kissing her neck and chest and a ring on her beautiful finger, she was content and happy. She was ready for Emily to take control, for a little while anyway.

The next morning Alison unwrapped her naked body from Emily's and got ready for work, she knew the brunette had her interview that day so she decided to wake her up and convince her to share a shower together. After Alison kissed her forehead she departed to the ensuit to commence her shower, a moment later the brunette rolled over, got up and followed. The morning passed too quickly and Alison was gone after they shared coffee but it didn't take long for Emily to ready herself for the interview, she had printed off a second copy of her resume for good measure and decided that dressing to impress was something she was kind of excited to do since she hadn't needed to in a long time. She was dressed and ready with an hour to spare but decided to give herself extra time if the traffic was bad, considering the address for the office where the interview was, was almost in centre LA, the drive alone – without traffic – was supposed to take half an hour anyway.

Luckily enough she had arrived at the office early and she was also lucky enough to get a park close to the building, so she decided to find a coffee shop before going inside, mostly just to pass the twenty minutes she had but also to keep her mind at ease and calm. As she walked down the busy streets of LA she noticed that no one was looking at her, for once she was starting to blend in, or at least people were too busy with their own lives to notice her. She would be happy working in the city if it continued to stay this way, that was until she ordered her coffee and the young girl cashier stared at her for a little too long. After she grabbed her coffee from the barista she made her way back to the office, she looked up at the tall building, it was larger than she had originally expected but the bright glass windows somehow sparked some confidence in her. As she leant against the Ferrari Alison had insisted her on taking she looked back down at normal eye level and noticed a few people staring at the car, which was fair enough considering its brand. Unlocking it she opened the door to take out her resume and replaced it with her now empty coffee cup, she would deal with it later. As she stood up and shut the door her eyes caught the quickest glimpse of brown hair which reminded her of Paige from across the street, she looked back only to see a crowd of people. She deemed it as her mind was playing tricks on her and turned to make her way into the building.

The interview had gone well, better than she had originally expected – though she didn't want to be over confident with the result and assume that it was a complete success so she decided to drive home in hopeful optimism before calling Alison in an attempt to calm herself down since her nerves were still at an all time high. The drive was longer than the early morning now, but she felt giddy and nothing seemed to bother her – even the five-odd people that had pulled in front of her on the trip didn't seem to phase her. By the time she had gotten home she sighed with relief and was proud that she had indeed calmed down – slightly. As she turned off the car and got out she was mildly surprised that Av hadn't immediately welcomed her home, she however was too excited to linger on the thought for long and assumed the computer was updating – Alison had said this would happen from time to time. Walking through the garage and into the house she was quick to pull out her phone out and ready to dial Alison's number, though she was just as quick to pause and look up when she felt something was off. She looked down at the kitchen island where she was _sure_ she had left an empty cup of coffee in her rush to be a little early for the interview – now it wasn't there but instead in the sink – Alison had left for work before her so she knew the blonde couldn't have moved it. She hummed to herself for a moment, perhaps she had just put it there without thinking, her mind was elsewhere considering the situation and how nervous she was. She shrugged and placed her bag and phone on the bench, deciding to clean the mug before giving Alison a call, her nerves were still on a high after the interview and the cleaning was somehow a way of calming her further.

"Hello Emily." The voice came from behind her, totally surprising her and causing her to drop the mug back into the sink, shattering it. Turning around with her hand against her chest as she tried to breath she was not at all happy to see the intruder.

"Paige?" She swallowed, though through some sort of mystery she didn't sound scared.

"You seem surprised."

"A little…" The brunette began slowly, the shock of Paige being less than six feet away from her still sinking in. "But… then again your stupidity never ceases to amaze me."

"A little bold after your interview, are we?"

"How did you know I had-"

"You know, before we start this conversation I'm going to get you to take off your watch." She interrupted casually.  
"What?" Emily pretended to be vague but she knew the moment she looked Paige in the eyes that the brunette already knew a lot more than she should.

"Take the watch off." She commanded slower this time with a hint of condescension which would've bothered Emily if she didn't feel so threatened. Though she had a feeling now that Paige was probably the reason why Av wasn't responding and there was really no point in trying to get in contact with the computer via the watch. She sighed and took it off, just to come off as obedient and _hope_ that Alison was suspicious about the fact that she hadn't called yet. The thought sprung to her mind and presented her with the idea of trying to use her phone, instinctively reaching for her pocket she was disappointed to remember that it was still with her bag which Paige had taken along with her watch.

"What do you want Paige?" She questioned, fear sinking in as she realised how different Paige looked after some time on the run from the law, her clothes were torn and her face was pale accompanied by a few scratches and bruises that still looked fresh.

"I think it's time we had a little chat."

"Well I don't, I don't want to talk to you, I don't want to be near you." Emily tried to make some distance between them but Paige only followed her by closing the gap slightly with two large steps.

"I thought you might say that, so I bought something that might help me persuade you." Paige said with a devilish smile and Emily felt her shoulders drop when her eyes fell onto the gun that the brunette had pulled from her back pocket. "Not so confident now, are we?" She chuckled evilly.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" Emily said hopelessly, she was over Paige destroying her happiness, she was over Paige still involving herself in her life, she just wanted to move on and be happy with Alison.

"Don't you understand Emily? We're meant to be together, why can't you see that?"

"Because you're a pyscho Paige!" Emily exclaimed in frustration while throwing her hands in the air dramatically. She knew she probably shouldn't have been so confident with her words but her logic was, if Paige had a gun and _really_ wanted to hurt her, why hadn't she already?

"Show me your hand." The brunette said quietly as she twitched her head to the side in curiosity when she noticed a sparkle. Emily paused before swallowing and stepping backwards, however Paige grew impatient and raised the gun to her, sighing Emily dropped her shoulders again as the brunette moved towards her and grabbed her left hand. "Well look at that rock." She almost laughed before throwing Emily's hand away. "I didn't hear about that on the news."

"We haven't told many people yet, that's why." Emily said shyly as she looked down at her hand, playing with the ring mindlessly in hopes it would comfort her.

"I see." Paige hummed as she played with the gun, her lip twitching as she tried to think of what to do next. "Well, that changes a few things."

"What could it possibly change Paige?" She scoffed while rolling her eyes – her newly found confidence being her enemy as Paige finally glared back at her.

"Sit down." She commanded softly but when Emily didn't move she merely pointed the gun towards here in anger. "Sit down!" She yelled this time and Emily sighed before doing as she was told by sitting on the closest bar stool. "Thank you." The brunette mumbled as she turned away from Emily.

Emily could feel her heart beat change, she was suddenly feeling sick and uneasy, Paige had never been one to have control of her emotions when things got out of hand or too stressful – not that Emily wasn't exactly used to that since they _had_ dated since high school which meant that in that time she had seen a fair amount of Paige and how she developed as a person.

"Paige…" She began calmly, hoping that the brunette wouldn't fly off the handle straight away. "What do you want?"

"I want us to be together again, Em. I want you back." Paige almost pleaded as she turned back to Emily.

"Why bring a gun then? How would that _possible_ help us in getting back toget-" As Emily spoke her mind clicked and turned together, as her words faded away in realization she tensed her back subconsciously before trying to move away.

"Don't move." Paige commanded in a shaky voice and Emily swallowed deeply because she knew the moment the brunette's voice faulted meant that she was getting overwhelmed and close to losing control.

"You weren't waiting for me…" Emily stated quietly while she stood, no longer afraid of what Paige was going to do to her as her instinct to protect took over her.

"Sit down Emily." Paige began stepping backwards but still pointed the gun towards Emily's chest, however it didn't seem to scare her.

"You won't hurt her." She almost growled as she moved closer to Paige but within seconds the brunette had maneuvered and struck her across the face with the barrel of the gun causing her to lose balance, in a combination of pain and shock, and fall to the ground. Paige was even quicker to jump on her, using her legs as strong guards holding Emily securely to the ground but her arms were still free which she thought would give her a chance to stop Paige but the brunette merely pointed the gun at her head.

"Don't think I won't." She shuttered, her voice cracking with lack of confidence but Emily didn't want to call it a bluff, she didn't want to push Paige any further. She had tried to stop her once and she knew that she had lost that chance, she knew she only had one chance and she had blown it which cause a tear to well in the corner of her eye. Now she had no idea how Paige was going to act and it was causing panic to bubble in her stomach uncontrollably.

"Fine." She felt her lips move without command from her brain and she would've covered her mouth if she wasn't so terrified to move. "Do it." She whispered before swallowing, again.

"What?" Paige asked in surprise and Emily saw her swallow, it was then she noticed the brunette was nervous – not good for someone who loses control easily.

"Do it." She repeated, calling Paige's bluff when less than a minute ago she was telling her mind she shouldn't do exactly that. Paige twitched slightly before pressing the gun against her forehead only to pull it away after a few moments.

"Get up." She said and quickly got off Emily being sure to keep the gun pointed at her at all times. Doing as she was told Emily stood while placing her hands in the air, giving Paige a clear sign that she was no longer a threat. "Walk over there." Paige pointed the gun quickly towards the living room and Emily looked before slowly turning and heading towards where the brunette had instructed. As she stopped in front of the black leather lounge she went to turn but she suddenly felt a hard hit from behind and everything went black.

-x-

"Good take today Alison, everything is on track." Derek said as he walked into Alison's dressing room after knocking, surprisingly.

"Excellent." She said with a smile while taking the last of her make-up off.

"They don't need you on set until Tuesday next week, I organised some rescheduling, mostly because they need to work on Alyssa's scenes but also because they've been working you too much. Which kind of pisses me off considering I had asked them not to do that."

"Wait, so I get the weekend off?" She didn't bother to conceal the excitement, especially since she really hadn't had more than a day off work since her and Emily had moved.

"Yep, I thought you could do with some time off, I know it's only three days but better than nothing, right?"

"Absolutely, thank you Derek."

"I'll get Mason and Duncan to leave you and Emily alone, I'm sure you guys would appreciate that."

"Yes, well Mason is mostly with his family now anyway, I only ever need him for emergencies, Duncan is doing great but a weekend with Emily and I does sound delightful."

"Consider it done, I will call you on Monday to organise times for Tuesday but they said nine o'clock start."

"Wonderful, thanks Derek. I'll talk to you then." Alison waved Derek goodbye before quickly looking around her dressing table for her phone, there were no missed calls from Emily which she found surprisingly but she was almost glad at the same time, she had been busy all day she hadn't even had time to call her fiancé about her interview.

Duncan was waiting outside her dressing room when she finally got undressed, she had decided not to call Emily and hold out on talking to the brunette until she got home. She could wait a little longer, right? She said goodbye to the cast and crew she passed on the way to the car but was quick to get in and put her seatbelt on.

"Ready to get home?" Duncan chuckled as her turned on the car.

"Very ready, no offence but it will be good to have the weekend away from everyone."

"None taken, I get it. Shall I make hast then?"

"Absolutely." Alison laughed and Duncan speedily but safely got her home through the LA traffic within twenty minutes.

"You know the drill, call us if you need us. Enjoy your weekend." Duncan smiled as he turned around the face Alison who was already half way out the car.

"Thanks Duncan, enjoy your weekend too."

"Do you want me to walk you in? It's pretty dark now."

"It's okay, the doors just there, I'll be fine, see you Tuesday." She shut the door after Duncan said goodbye and pulled out her phone to get a source of light. The front light didn't automatically switch on which she would've found weird if she hadn't assumed Emily was still out, which though it disappointed her seemed to be the only explanation.

"Em!" She called after she unlocked the door and made her way inside the dark house, the only light was the one at the end of the hallway in the living room. "I'm home." She turned on the closest light switch and switched off the torch on the phone while making her way down the hall.

"Hey Av, is Em home?" She asked casually but when there was no answer her curiosity peeked, along with her paranoia. Walking down the hallway she heard a softened muffle which caused her to pause but when the sound disappeared she continued, thinking she was hearing things.

"Em? Babe?" She called, though she felt stupid for doing it, mostly because you could hear someone calling from the front door anywhere in the house, if Emily didn't reply she probably wasn't home, which was still weird considering the brunette didn't mention she had any other plans that day. Assuming Emily had indeed gone out Alison made her way into the kitchen to grab herself a glass of wine before calling the brunette. Before making it close to the kitchen Alison heard another muffled sound but this time it was followed by the sound of the living room coffee table moving slightly. "Em? Are you there?" She called, again feeling stupid because in every horror movie she'd ever seen that was obviously the worst thing you could do – and yet she was doing it. She walked slowly towards the living, thinking maybe perhaps Emily was playing some kind of joke, as she switched on the light she was half expecting the brunette to jump out and scare her but when the bright yellow light filled the room she was instead scared by the vision of Emily sitting on the lounge with a cut above her eye that was bleeding, her hands were tied up in front of her chest with duct tape and her legs were also secured together, even her mouth had tape covering it.

"Em?!" She asked in surprise but the brunette looked confused, that was until she fully opened her eyes and looked up at her. She looked as though she had just been sleeping or had just awoken from passing out, needless to say she didn't look well. Running to her side Alison tried to take off the tape without hurting the confused brunette, who began muffling the moment Alison was at her side.

"It's okay, I'm here." She said soothingly. "I'm just going to take this off, okay?" Emily continued to muffle but her eyes showed complete terror, that was until Alison ripped off the tape which she initially thought would make the brunette swear.

"What the hell is going on?" She asked as she threw away the tape.

"Ali, you have to get out of here." Emily said hysterically. Her face was sweaty and her eyes were red from crying but instead of hearing her pleas Alison instinctively went to investigate the cut above her eye.

"What are you talking about?" She questioned when Emily jolted away.

"Don't ask questions, just go."

"Em, seriously, what's going on?" Before Emily could answer Alison heard the distinct clicking of a gun's safety being switch off which would've made her flinch if she wasn't on edge and ready for weird sounds to fill her sense.

"Hello Alison." Alison recognised the voice instantly but she didn't move, she merely looked up at Emily whose eyes were obviously stuck on Paige. Standing up and turning around she was not surprised to see the gun she had heard pointing directly at her chest and indeed Paige the one holding it.

"Miss McCullers, a pleasure as always to see you." Alison didn't really know if sarcasm was really a smart idea at that moment but she figured since Emily wasn't overly hurt and she wasn't dead yet there must have been a reason.

"Are you really being sarcastic with me right now?" Paige gushed with fake surprise, it was obvious the brunette expected nothing less. "You're a piece of work." She continued before pushing the blonde onto the lounge beside Emily.

"Paige, I swear if you lay another hand on her I'll-"

"You'll what, Em? Hmm?" Paige interrupted before pointing the gun at the brunette who immediately closed her mouth, Alison had never seen her so scared which she could obviously understandable but as the brunette trembled she realised how much power Paige had over her.

"You've got our attention Paige, what do you want?"

"You know what? Let's set some ground rules. _You_ , don't talk to me unless I ask you to speak, got it?" Alison went to challenge the brunette but the moment her mouth opened Paige pointed the gun at Emily, effectively silencing her. "Excellent, you catch on quickly." She lowered the gun before smirking and quickly striking Alison over her head with the base of the gun, successfully knocking her out. As Alison's body fell to the ground more tears welled in Emily's eyes and slipped down her cheeks.

"Did I hit a nerve, Em?" Paige chuckled as she crouched down in front of the crying brunette and pressed the gun against her bruised cheek, she tried struggling against the tape around her wrists but it was no use.

"Screw you Paige, you weren't supposed to hurt her."

"No Emily, you conducted that illusion in your head." She stood up again and walked over to the unconscious blonde on the floor and bent down to touch her face.

"Don't touch her!" Emily screamed defensively but Paige merely looked up at her with another smirk and reached into her back pocket, pulling out a small clear bottle and a cloth from her other pocket. Opening it and wetting the cloth with whatever was inside Paige moved towards her, before she could struggle anymore the brunette held her neck tightly with a smile.

"It'll all be clearer when you wake up." Her smile thinned as she covered Emily's mouth with the wet cloth and pinched her nose so the only choice the brunette had was to inhale the chemical that stained the fabric – instantly her head was spinning and her coconsciousness grew less and less focused until she completely blacked out.

-x-

"Come on, wake up. I didn't even hit you that hard." Alison heard Paige faintly say, her eyes were shut and her head was aching but the moment her thoughts became collected she shot her eyes open so fast they didn't even have time to adjust which caused them to close again. "Ah, wonderful. I was beginning to think I had hit you too hard."

Alison didn't respond but instead looked around the take in her surroundings, though the room was mostly dark she could make out her study desk to the side, as she looked down she recognised the comfort of her desk chair – though her wrists were tapped to the leather arms and her feet were somehow bound she still considered it luxurious.

"Where's Emily?" She asked softly, her voice hurt but she wasn't sure why and it wasn't as though she was going to get any genuine answer out of Paige.

"Wow I did hit you hard." Paige chuckled lightly as she strolled around the room in the dark, shadows covered half her face as she placed her hands freely behind her back, Alison saw no signs of a weapon – though she didn't know if that was comforting thought or not. "Maybe a little more light would help." Paige continued as Alison looked around desperately for clues, the shutters were closed so she had no way of knowing how long she had been knocked out, that was until Paige turned the lights on and light up the room, including her clock on the wall. It was almost eight which meant she had only been knocked out for a couple of hours, she was somewhat hoping Mason or Duncan would randomly try and call to check on them but she knew that would be unlikely since Derek had asked them to give her space for the weekend.

"Fuck." She whispered to herself though Paige had clearly heard her.

"What was that? Realising how easy it was for me to get you alone without people knowing. Some security team you have. Anyway, enough about them, you were asking about Emily right?" She walked to the right-hand side of the room and opened the in-built closet, it was mostly empty except for the fact that Emily was hanging by her hands on something she couldn't see, it was high and something that neither she nor Emily would have kept in there so it must have been one of Paige's inventions – something like a metal bar with Emily's hands tied in rope around it. Emily was quick to look up from the ground when the door opened, she was also quick to flinch in response which made Alison mad and realise a lot could happen in a few hours. Emily's bruised cheek had worsened and a small cut now joined it, the blonde's hands clenched defensively as Paige moved closer to her fiancé.

"Leave her alone." Alison said through gritted teeth.

"You know what's so fun about holding the gun, Alison?" Paige said as she pulled it from her jacket pocket. "I'm the one in charge. Remember what I said, about speaking only when told too?" She reached into the closet and pushed the bar upwards, some effort was required considering Emily wasn't a small child but Paige was definitely strong enough.

"I know neither of you are stupid, but I'll explain this to you anyway. Now, I know Emily is athletically great, trust me," She said with a smirk as she attempted to stroke the brunette's cheek before she moved away. "But even you can't stand up forever." She continued bitterly before walking away and back towards Alison, placing the gun back in her jacket pocket. " _So_ , let's play a game, shall we? The rules are simple, you do what I say and va-la you win."

"Em, are you okay?" Alison couldn't help the question fall from her lips, Emily looked even worse than earlier, she was pale and sweating, and though the blonde knew this could just be because the brunette was freaking out it didn't stop her instinctive protection mode quick in. Before Emily could speak however Paige was in front of Alison in a few short steps.

"You are _unbelievable_ , how hard is it to not talk? I'm not asking you to do rocket science. But thank you, you've kicked started the game, now I can demonstrate what happens when you don't follow to rules." She pulled the gun back out of her pocket causing Alison to flinch in anticipation, however Paige straightened up and walked towards Emily. "Sorry Em." She said genuinely before quickly striking Emily in the shoulder with the gun. "I don't want to hurt you baby, but it's for us." She whispered as the brunette buckled and screamed as the combination of blow to her shoulder and the pain of the tight rope around her wrist searing her skin as the weight of her body fell on her recovering shoulder.

"Stop it! Don't hurt her!" Alison cried desperately from the corner of the room, Paige sighed in frustrating at being interrupted before moving away from the puffing Emily.

"Do you understand now?" Paige said with condescension laced in her voice and Alison, who was too afraid to speak, nodded in fear which seemed to please the brunette because she smirked and walked back towards Emily. "Good. I'll be back in a bit. Stay here, okay? Don't go anywhere but feel free talk if you wish, for now." She laughed before leaving the study, slamming the door behind her.

"Baby, are you okay?" Alison asked the moment Paige was out of sight.

"My shoulder… it hurts." Emily said, still puffing, still holding back tears and it made Alison want to leap out of the chair she was secured to and run to her side.

"It's okay, you're okay." The blonde tried to hide the panic in her voice but even she couldn't act that well. "Why isn't Av activated? What happened?"

"I don't know, I got home from the interview and she was already here and Av wasn't working."

"Fuck." Alison whispered to herself but Emily clearly heard.

"Won't Mason check up on us? Like won't he call or something to check on us?" Emily sounded overly hopeful but Alison knew that, though Mason was good at his job wasn't a mind reader and since Derek had told him to not call them over the weekend, but she didn't have the heart to tell Emily that.

"Yeah baby, I'm sure he will. We're going to be okay."

 _ **I hope you guys enjoyed, NOW, just a quick fill in. I DO NOT hate Paige or the Paily fandom, I can actually appreciate Paige as a character and Lindsey Shaw as an actress because she's had to put up with some shit from fans. Which is so not cool and I don't agree with it. I love Emison, but I don't condone people giving shit to Paily, especially since it sucks when we get shit. Understood? So just to clarify Paige's character in this story is portrayed like so for story progression ONLY and not out of some petty fan war, cool? Sorry (not really) if my lack of hate for Paige disappoints some of you. Just because I don't ship them doesn't automatically mean I have to hate her – that is unless she's A.D of course xD but seriously.  
Also on a positive note! I just made 500 reviews for this story and I actually feel amazing! So thank you soooooo much for the support! And one final note, I have been writing some small… one shots I guess? And am thinking about uploading them, would you guys read it?  
Thanks for reading please leave a review if you have time :) **_


	29. Chapter 29

**Hello everyone! Here's another chapter, I just wanted to say a quick thank you for all the awesome reviews! They realllllllly help and they really encouraged me to keep writing this one, I also got some really good prompts for this story that I intend to add in – in later chapters of course – when things aren't so… dramatic :P anyways I'm sorry if this story/ chapter seems rushed I was just super keen to write.**

 **Enjoy!**

 _ **Chapter Twenty-Nine**_

Paige didn't come back for what seemed like hours, in which time Emily had fallen asleep from the combination of pain and exhaustion, Alison however couldn't sleep, in fact her eyes didn't leave Emily's until the brunette fell asleep. Then she took the time to search the room for anything that might help them escape but after hours of searching she gave up, Paige had obviously gone to great lengths to make escape impossible and to try and hear out for the brunette that lurked outside the room. She couldn't hear anything else but the occasional tap of footsteps on the floorboards or the rare sound of a door opening and closing. She didn't know what to do, but she was exhausted from her long day at work, eventually she was going to fall asleep, she wouldn't be able to help it but now wasn't the time – she had to be strong for Emily.

As though she had said the brunette's name aloud Emily groaned slightly in her slumber before waking up, she immediately straightened her body to relieve the pressure in her shoulder but that only seemed to make her cringe in pain more.

"I was hoping this was some fucked up nightmare." She whispered when her eyes fell upon the blonde.

"How's your shoulder?" Alison sidetracked, she wished she could swap with Emily and she really couldn't' understand why Paige was taking out all her anger on the brunette, it should have been her.

"It's okay." Emily was clearly lying but she squinted in an attempt to push the pain aside, her stomach was still on fire which she thought would have extinguish with a little sleep – that however was not the case. "My… my stomach kind of hurts…" She said trying to keep her mind focused.

"Baby." Alison said sympathetically as she struggled against her bindings.

"Listen." Emily began abruptly but Alison didn't interrupt. "You have to do what she says. You can't fight against her, Ali."

"What-" She began but was quickly interrupted.

"Just _please_ do what she says." Before Emily could speak anymore the door to the study slammed open and Paige strolled inside, this time with a knife, though her gun was still visible in her jacket pocket. "Paige..." Emily began, her chest was heavy and her arms were already aching, in fact her shoulder was on firm and the pain in her lower abdomen was worsening but she took a breath and looked at the brunette who was initially walking to Alison but changed directions after she spoke. "…Please…"

"What's wrong, baby?"

"Don't call her baby." Alison said through gritted teeth and seconds later Paige slowly pushed against Emily's shoulder with the handle of knife. When she cried out in pain Alison bowed her head and fell silent, though tears threatened to escape her terrified eyes she didn't speak again.

"Your fiancé is a great learner but she forgets easily." Paige pointed out casually as she pulled away her weapon and reached into her back pocket bringing out what Emily recognised as the bottle of mysterious liquid that had knocked her out not to long ago, she shifted uncomfortably but knew there was no point. "I'm sorry to do this to you baby, but I need to speak to Alison alone." Wetting the cloth Paige masked Emily's lips before she could even object and she went limp in her upright position. Just by looking at her Alison felt pain, there was no way that was doing any good for Emily's injured shoulder and the more she watched the brunette struggle to fall unconscious the more she felt sick. "Okay." Paige began with a snicker. "I want to make something perfectly clear here, Emily is mine, she wants me she's just trying to make me jealous. I won't let you take her away from me." Alison wanted to interrupt the brunette as she made her way in front of her but she bit her tongue and listened to her ramble. "If you do as I say, then everything will be fine." Suddenly a sharp knock at the front door interrupted them, Paige stood up and instinctively brought out the gun from her pocket and pointed it straight at Alison. "If you say one thing I will blow your brains out and then I'll shoot her. Trust me, I'll make it slow if you test me."

"You can't keep us locked up in her forever."

"I don't plan to." She grabbed the roll of tape that she had left of Alison's study desk and wrapped it around her mouth for safe measure before disappearing out the door, switching off every light she passed. Moments passed before Alison heard the front door open and close, she didn't speak out of fear as her eyes moved over to Emily. Her mind was racing and questions quickly filled her thoughts, who was at the door, why were they here so late, why couldn't she hear anything now and most of all, where was Paige? Footsteps suddenly filled Alison's ears but she didn't know if she was happy to hear them or not. As lights filled the hallway and the steps continued Alison almost jumped when someone entered the room, that someone wasn't Paige but she couldn't have been any happier to see him. She tried screaming through the tape but it was on too tight.

"Ali? Oh my god!" Mason ran to her side, hoisting his gun in his pocket before trying to take of the tape from her mouth. "Where's Emily?" He questioned as soon as he ripped the tape off.

"Over there. How did you know something was wrong?"

"Av wasn't very responsive at the gate earlier tonight, I thought it might have been a glitch but I was talking to Derek and he said that shouldn't be happening."

"Stand up and move away from the girl." Paige was suddenly behind Mason with a gun pressed against the back of his head, he froze instinctively but his hand twitched in temptation for his own gun. "I won't hesitate." Paige continued as she cocked the trigger, Mason did as he was told slowly and lifted his hands in the air to show he wasn't a threat and as he turned around to face Paige she pushed the gun against his chest and removed his own. "Thanks for the spare." She chuckled as she flicked the gun to the side. "Over there."

"I've already notified police, they will be here any minute." Mason said quietly and calmly, Alison would've been impressed if she wasn't so terrified.

"That sounds like a threat, Mr. Mason." Though it was technically the correct way to address her the pronunciation of Mason's name with a Mister in front of it just sounded odd.

"Not a threat at all, just a promise."

"You're very brave, for someone who has a gun pointed at them."

"Why don't we talk, just you a me? Let Alison and Emily go." Mason asked desperately as Paige moved the gun towards Alison, a smirk stretching across her face before she gazed back towards him.

"That would be tempting but, unfortunately, you're not the one I want, sorry." Paige said plainly and before Mason could respond she pointed the gun straight at him and pulled the trigger. A loud bang filled the room, causing Alison to jump but she wouldn't have screamed if it weren't for Mason's body on the ground.

"You crazy bitch!" She yelled angrily as she watched Mason struggle to stop the bleeding in his upper chest.

"Now, that's not very nice." She said as she walked over to Mason and knocked him over the back of the head with the barrel of the gun. "He will be fine, as long as he gets medical attention within the next hour… or so." She chuckled as she watched Mason's body fall to the ground, Alison couldn't tell where she had really shot him but only because she could tell he wasn't bleeding out as much as she originally thought he would be. Paige hovered over his unconscious body to inspect the bullet wound, it went clean through just below his shoulder and hit the hall, the casing was on the ground not far from them and as she picked up the squashed piece of metal she sighed. "Well, good shot on my behalf, I didn't hit an artery so he will be fine."

"What do you want Paige?"

"I'm starting to think I might just shoot you, you are becoming rather a nuisance." She moved away from Mason and back towards Alison, she fiddled with the gun momentarily before pointing it at Alison lazily. "Although, I did kind of promise Emily I wouldn't." She shrugged after Alison closed her eyes subconsciously. "I do have a question for you though, before I do kill you." The blonde opened her eyes curiously. "Why don't _you_ have a ring?"

Alison cocked her head to the side and then looked down at her hand, it wasn't that she had forgotten that her and Emily were engaged, it was more she had other things on her mind and it had kind of been pushed to the back, along with her and Emily _actually_ shopping for a ring for herself.

"We were going to go shopping together for one." She quivered quietly and waited for Paige's next move.

"Interesting. You know, I like you like this. Which is a shame." Alison pointed the gun towards Alison slowly but paused momentarily, so sighed before lowering it again and stepping backwards. "I don't get it, why would you, of all people, want to be with her? You're a celebrity for goodness sakes. What could you possibly want from her?" Paige paced back and forth a few times before looking back at Alison. "What? You've got nothing to say now?" Again, Alison remained silent and trembled slightly, she watched as Paige's face went through many different expressions in under a few seconds, she didn't know how she was going to react but she knew it wasn't going to be the way the brunette would want. Apparently, saying nothing was also the wrong thing to do and Paige lost her temper, which meant that within a few short seconds she was knocked out again.

-x-

Emily woke up, in a short of shock as though she was out of breath, which she assumed was because of her shoulder and stomach were in substantial amounts of pain. She could understand why her shoulder was hurting – for obvious reasons – but not her stomach. Was it because Paige drugged her? She didn't know, all she did know was the room was pitch black and to bother seeing was pointless, she tried to call out Alison's name but she could barely speak. She was still out of breath, even puffing and the overbearing sense of confusion and terror seemed to fill her. Why was this happening? Was it really happening or had she fallen over and hit her head from excitement when Alison had proposed? She was hoping it was that.

"We could run away." Paige's voice came from across the room, startling Emily but she was too sore and exhausted to focus on it for long.

"What?"

"I know you love me Em." She continued plainly and Emily tried to squint into the darkness though it was useless, not because it was so dark but because she was so tired and felt so ill she couldn't have seen Paige unless the brunette was right in front of her.

"Paige, what we had was very special, I won't deny that. For goodness sakes, we were together in high school…" She had to pause mid-sentence just to take a breath but before she could speak again Paige interrupted her.

"So, shouldn't that mean something?" She whispered, her tone sad and almost innocent, she almost sounded hurt but it wasn't enough for Emily to feel sorry for her, mostly because she had hurt Alison and more than once – that in her mind was unforgivable, especially since she had promised her she wouldn't.

"It did… But, well…" She winced in pain as her shoulder continued to ache, she had just been happy that for now she could stand and not rely on her arms like when she was asleep or unconscious - though she knew they wouldn't hold out forever.

"Run away with me, Emily, we could do it. Forget about Alison and all the problems she brought into the relationship. Just come with me and we can leave it all behind." Paige seemed to be offering the idea instead of demanding it but that didn't really make the want for rejection any easier, that was until she realised she hadn't heard Alison at all since she'd woken up.

"Where's Alison? What did you do with her?"

"She's fine, for now, along with that body guard of hers, if only he hadn't interfered, I didn't want to be here that long."  
"How… long has it been?"

"It's about three in the morning, so long enough for the police to be outside since Mason did call them." She chuckled to herself before the sound of a shuffling chair scrapped along the floor and Paige stood to move around the room, Emily's ears tracked her to the far side which had the windows that were currently closed off by shutters. "They're so loud, aren't they? They think they're quiet but I can hear them scouting the area, trying to figure out how to get inside."

"How did you plan on getting out with the cops around?" Emily whispered, she wanted to scream but knew that would've been stupid, considering she had no idea where Alison or Mason were.

"Well, you and me will just get in one of the cars and drive. I'm not too worried, I'm just focusing on being here with you."

"Paige, you haven't hurt anyone, have you?"

"No, well, I mean I shot Mason but only because he was trying to take you away from me, but its only a small wound, he'll be fine."

"What… if I don't want to go with you?" Emily coughed slightly, the pain in her stomach hitting her hard and causing her legs to buckle momentarily. She was in pain and she hated every minute of it but more she hated every minute that she didn't know where Alison was, it was too much on her already aching head.

"Well, I know you love me but I also know you would never want me to hurt someone else just because you didn't do as you were told." Paige threatened subtly and Emily felt her hands clench defensively.

"No. Don't hurt, anyone. I'll go with you, just… don't hurt… anyone." She said weakly, she knew there was no _easy_ way out of this situation, not without someone getting hurt anyways, so doing as she was told seemed like the safest option.

"You mean it? You want to go with me?"

"Yes, we could get as far away from here and as far away from everyone."

"That sounds so perfect Em." Paige moved towards and placed her hands lightly on her cheeks in the dark, Emily wasn't sure how she could even see but since her vision was still unfocused it startled her, enough to make her flinch which she was sure would have enraged Paige in it wasn't for a loud clanging sound somewhere outside the room. Paige quickly turned and Emily heard her cock the gun and move towards the door. She was almost silent after that, until Emily heard the phone ring from Alison's study, she had forgotten they even had a landline until it was buzzing loudly in her ears. Paige turned on a lamp and a soft dim light lit up the room, enough to make Emily's eyes shutter in pain before finally adjusting.

She picked it up but didn't answer it, walking over to Emily she held it to her eye level. "Answer it, don't say anything stupid or I'll hurt her." The brunette threatened confidently and Emily nodded obediently at the mentioning of Alison.

"Where is she anyway?" Emily asked as casually as she could, though her throat gave out half way through.

"In the next room with her body guard." Paige replied quickly before answering the phone and putting it to her ear.

"He-hello." She murmured through the pain in her stomach and arms.

"Miss Fields?" An unknown voice answered on the other end, he sounded older, much older but calm and collect, somewhat soothing considering the danger she was in.

"Um… yes speaking." She watched Paige the whole time, aware that the brunette was holding onto every word she was saying and even more aware that the gun that was pointed at her was still active.

"Miss Fields, my name is Detective Logan, are you alone?" The man asked slowly and Emily looked up at Paige who had clearly heard the question and gave her an approving nod.

"No." She replied just as slowly and waited for the humming of voices in the background to fill her ear.

"Miss Fields, who is with you? Are you on loud speaker?"

"No, I'm not on loud speaker." She didn't know how to answer his other question without upsetting Paige.

"Okay, is Paige McCullers with you?" The detective asked, Emily swallowed and she paused before looking up at Paige who took the phone from Emily's ear and pressed a button with a sort of triumphant smile.

"I'm here." She said calmly and the line was silent for a moment except for the sound of the detective putting his phone against his chest.

"Miss McCullers? My names Detective Logan, I just wanted to let you know that the sound outside earlier was one of my men. We aren't here to hurt you, we don't mean to harm you or anyone inside, okay?"

"Okay, so what do you want?"

"We got an anonymous call saying shots were fired at this residence, we wanted to make sure everyone was alright." The detective continued calmly and Paige scoffed quietly before looking down at Emily who was wincing in pain.

"Everyone is fine, the gun fire thing must have been a prank call or something."

"Miss McCullers, may I speak to Miss DiLaurentis?"

"She's unable to answer the phone right now." Emily swallowed as Paige spoke, a smile thinned out across her lips as the brunette gaged her reaction – though as time continued to pass her emotions didn't seem to exceed any further than terror and fear for Alison's safety, and Mason's.

"Please, is there anything we can do? We can't leave until we are given proof that everyone inside is okay."

"I will call back when I'm ready." Paige hung up the phone before the detective on the other end had a chance to rebut, she chuckled before placing the phone back in its original place on Alison's desk. Emily winced again as the pain in her stomach hit her even harder, though she repressed it when Paige looked back towards her. She didn't know what was wrong but she knew the pains weren't good, she could sense that something was unusual about then, it was just a coincidence that she had been standing up right for many hours – she thought anyway. "How are you feeling?" Paige questioned as though she had seen the pain in Emily's eyes.

"I'm fine, I'm…" She paused midsentence, thinking that she could take the situation to her advantage, Alison wasn't in the room but she _was_ safe and if she kept Paige occupied and distracted everything would be fine. The cops would figure something out. They had too. "I'm… really tired that's all. With me standing here watching you make all these tough decisions, I just… wish I could help you know? I feel useless." She didn't know if her lying was believable but when Paige looked at her with softened eyes she believed it was.

"Well, if you want, we can lie in bed until the cops go away?" She offered, her tone genuinely oblivious to the danger outside, Emily swallowed at Paige's delusion but tried to stay in character.

"If that would be okay? Standing up all this time is killing me."

"Well for some of the time you were asleep, so you're arms and shoulders were taking all the pressure." Paige stated matter-of-factly before raising her hands to release Emily from her bindings. "I am sorry about that." The brunette released the tight bindings around Emily's wrist's and instantly her arms fell limply to her side and her legs buckled from the pressure causing her to fall to the ground on her exhausted knees, only to have Paige get down to her side. She groaned in pain as Paige helped her from the floor and towards the master bedroom, her shoulder was on fire more now that it had adjusted to the change and her stomach churned inconsistently with each sluggish step she took, though none of that pain stopped her from looking desperately around for signs of Alison.

"So, what _are_ we going to do when the cops do leave?"

"Depends on what you want to do." Paige answered casually as he sat Emily down on the bed, roughly, causing her to look up curiously only to be shocked to see the brunette had an evil smirk slashed across her face.

"What do you mean?"

"You think I'm that stupid Emily?" She questioned as she forced Emily back against the bed and forcefully raised both her tired arms above her head, a yelp of pain slipped her lips only to be silenced moments later by Paige's rough hands. "Be quiet." She commanded as she continued to tie her hands around the bed frame. "Listen to me, now that the cops are involved I've got to go deal with Alison and her dog."

"Don't hurt them." Emily begged as the brunette got off her and stalked towards the door.

"Hurt them? I'm surprised Mason isn't dead with that bullet wound, he is quick a broad man though so shooting him without injuring him was quite easy."

"Why did you shoot him?" Emily questioned while groaning as her shoulder tried to adjust again to a different position.

"He was going to take you away from me, I can't have that." Paige slammed the door before Emily could rebut and walked down the hallway, making sure all the lights were on but all the blinds shut so the cops didn't know where to be looking specifically. She skulked around the house and looked in every room to make sure that she hadn't missed a window, or a camera or a vent, making sure that everything was secure and almost impossible to seen from the other side. Though she didn't know exactly where the police were, she took that as they didn't know exactly where she was either as the positive note, they weren't about to raid the place with three "hostages" inside. She lurked back into the study and picked up the phone that she had used not too long ago and placed it in her jumper pocket before making her way to the living room where she had left Alison and Mason. Entering the room, she wasn't surprised to see the blonde trying to free herself from her bindings but she had done an excellent job, Alison wasn't escaping, and though Mason was wounded she didn't take any risks with him either, even though now he was unconscious.

"He will be fine, you want to know something truly wonderful?" Paige questioned Alison as she bent down towards her. "The cops are outside and that means my plan is going to work just fine now." She pulled out her knife and cut the rope around Alison's legs, pointing the gun at her the moment she went to kick or escape. "Stand up and move towards the bedroom, after that you can go. As long as you don't screw me around." Alison raised her hands as Paige pointed the gun at her but put her head to the side in curiosity when the brunette revealed her plans, she would've questioned her if her mouth wasn't taped, again. "Just move." Paige pushed her and the made their way to the master bedroom. Before Paige opened the door, she turned Alison to face her and cut the bindings around her hands while removing the tap from her mouth as well. "Don't make me regret this. Remember who has the gun." She murmured and waited for Alison to nod in reply before opening the door. Emily was lying limply on the bed, Alison noticed how weak and white she looked instantly, even Paige had noticed it and she hadn't been gone for long at all – maybe half an hour after checking out every inch of the house – at most.

"Ali?" Emily whimpered quietly and Alison rushed to her side without a second thought.

"Hey, it's okay." She whispered softly before turning to Paige who was still lurking in the doorway. "She's not well, can't you see that?" The blonde continued as she began untying Emily from the frame, instant relief was obvious on the brunette's face when her arms were released.

"I can see perfectly." Paige grumbled in return. "Say your goodbyes to her."

"What?" Alison retorted quickly as she stood from the bed and it was only a slightly moment but Emily quickly caught on that, _if_ she said the right thing, Paige was about to let Alison go – she just had to be convincing.

"You heard her." She said as bitterly as she could and Alison looked down at her in confusion. "Don't embarrass yourself Alison." She said somehow managing to make herself sit up and lift her right hand towards her left hand, she knew she was never really a good actress but she was hoping it would be believable enough that Paige would fall for it. Taking the beautiful ring that sat on her numb finger she handed it to Alison and looked over at Paige who had dialed a number on the phone and was waiting for the person on the other end to answer.

"Hi Detective Logan? Look, I've been thinking about what you said and I promise you, Miss DiLaurentis is safe, so is her body guard relatively anyways, I must confess something though. I lied to you at first." She raised the gun towards Alison after the blonde had somehow managed to grasp courage when Emily handed her the ring to walk towards Paige, only to stop when the brunette cocked the safety off. Emily hating watching everything happen so slowly but she was just hoping Alison was understanding what was going on. "There were gun shots earlier tonight, Alison's body guard scared me and I accidentally shot him, mind you, it was an accident and both he and Alison will vouch for me, however we will deal with such calamities later, for now I think it's in everyone's best interest for Alison and Mason to leave. Emily has decided to stay with me." Alison wanted to charge at Paige but even she didn't have enough courage against a weapon, she watched as Paige listened to the man on the other end trying to reason with her but by her facial expression she wasn't in any mood for reasoning. "Alternatively, you can let Mason bleed out? I am not leaving without Emily and we will be doing so in her own car, no laws were broken here tonight as I will have Miss DiLaurentis tell you _in person_ the moment she is with you." Paige said casually and Alison went to object only to quickly be silenced when Paige pointed the gun at Emily, who seemed to have passed out either from exhaustion or whatever was making her look so pale. Alison could obviously tell that Emily was lying for her sake so she decided to play along but she was _definitely_ not leaving the brunette's side. "Make your decision, Detective. I won't be this patient forever." She paused and Alison could feel her hands clenched tightly. "Wonderful, don't try anything stupid." She hung up, again, before the detective could respond and looked towards Alison with a proud smirk.

"I am aware you have a few cars to spare, so if you don't mind giving me your keys to all of them, and of course repeating everything I just said to Detective Logan when you get outside."

"You can kiss my ass if you think I'm going to do that."

"Haven't you gotten the hint yet? Look, if you don't go then Mason doesn't and he needs medical attention _so_ … don't be stupid okay?" Alison looked back around to Emily, her weak eyes drooping and her arms lay by her side, there was no attempt to get up or escape, she just lay there waiting, her tired eyes pleading Alison to do as she was told.

"You can't make me leav-" Alison began but before she could finish Paige sighed impatiently, quickly raised the gun to the roof and pulled the trigger, a loud bang filled the room and Alison subconsciously covered her ears while ducking slightly.

"The next one will go straight into her skull and I'll make you watch." She threatened and Alison swallowed, she didn't really make sense of Paige's thought process, really, she wouldn't kill Emily if she was convinced she loved her, in the blonde's mind it didn't make sense but as Paige's hand twitched she put her hands up in defeat.

"Okay, okay I'll go. Just don't hurt her."

"Why do you care? She just said she wanted you to leave." Paige shoved Alison out of the room not giving the blonde time to even glance at the brunette laying sickly on the bed. Her vision was blurry and she felt tired, the only thing she could feel besides the pain in her shoulder and stomach was the wetness of sweat on her forehead. She would've been confused by the pain in her stomach if she wasn't so dizzy and distracted, she couldn't hear anything after Paige and Alison left, not the sound of a door open or close, not even footsteps. Everything was fuzzy. It wasn't until Paige returned that she could somewhat focus again, she didn't know how much time had passed, it could have been minutes or it could have been hours, all she knew was nothing seemed to make sense.

"We're almost there, baby." Paige mused as she sat on the edge of the bed and wiped away some of Emily's sweat roughly, her hands were coarse and harsh in comparison to Alison's.

"What is going to happen now?"

"Well, assuming that blonde does the right thing the cops will back off and we can drive away, off into the sunset. Just like we planned."

Emily raised her eyebrows in a combination of discomfort and disbelief, how could Paige be this delusional? How could she possibly believe that, after everything that had happened – the gun shots and kidnapping – that she was just going to be able to walk out freely? She lowered her eyebrows when she noticed the brunette was sweating as much as her, she was nervous, or at least not entirely sure herself. She seemed agitated and close to breaking point, which had been why Emily was so quick to get Alison and Mason out of there. As much as she hated Paige for doing this to her, to them, Emily sensed that something was not right, the brunette was never like this in high school and there was a time when she deeply cared for her. Now she was afraid but still, a small part of her was concerned for Paige's wellbeing – like she had thought previously – something was not right.

-x-

"Miss DiLaurentis, I'm Detective Logan, are you wounded?" An officer was at Alison's side the moment she had left the front porch, Mason was conscious but barely, though it wasn't a fatal wound he had lost enough blood to make him extremely weak. Paramedics were taking over Alison's position with him over her shoulder the moment they were allowed. Blue and red lights flashed everywhere Alison looked in the dark sky, there was police cars spread across the entire street, blocking access for what she assumed was the media and other citizens, but even with all the security residents in the street who were still in their houses were either standing out the front to investigate or peeking through their windows. "You have to be checked out by paramedics." He stated when she didn't answer, she was too focused on what to say to him because there was no way she was sending him away with Emily still inside, but was she putting her brunette at risk when she didn't do what she was told?

"No, I need you to figure out how to get my fiancé out of that house _without_ an injury and _before_ she gets any sicker. Do you understand me?" She commanded brutally, she had hope that there would be a way to get Emily out safe and sound without hurting her or Paige, she assumed that would be what the brunette would want – even if her ex was a psycho.

"Alison thank fuck." Derek almost screamed as he pushed his way through the crowd of policemen. "Are you okay? What happened? Come on we need to get you out of here, there is cameras absolutely everywhere."

"Derek, I am _not_ leaving until Emily is out safe and sound."

"What? She's still in there?" Derek looked over at the detective who had made himself busy with talking to his men, who were heavily armed with guns and covered in what looked like bullet proof armor. "Alison, things could get out of hand, you might get hurt." He said almost shyly at her dominance.

"I appreciate the concern but, unfortunately, I am not leaving." She said forcefully before turning back towards Detective Logan, giving Derek absolutely no time to form a rebuttal. "Why are all these guys loaded with huge amounts of gear?"

"Miss DiLaurentis, I really need you to step away and get assessed by a paramedic, we will get Emily out just fine."

"You listen to me, if you go in there guns blazing someone is going to get seriously hurt, or worse, and I will not lose Miss Fields, which is how you will address her," She sidetracked quickly before continuing. "Paige McCullers is mentally unstable and if you put my fiancé in danger I can assure you, it'll be something you regret." Alison said it quietly but loud enough for the detective and his squad to hear. "I don't care if you raid my house but you make sure Emily gets out of there alive. And fast, she looked really sick the last time I saw her." Alison took a deep breath before turning around and almost bumping into a young paramedic.

"Sorry Miss DiLaurentis…" He stuttered shyly before trying to continue. "I… your security guard won't let us take him to the hospital. He's lost enough blood already." Alison frowned and looked behind the paramedic, she made her way to Mason's side the moment she laid eyes on him.

"Why aren't you going to hospital?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I have to stay here until I know everyone is safe." He whimpered quietly, clearly stubborn but very weak.

"Mason, I appreciate everything you've done for me, but you can't deny yourself the help you need. Now lie down in this ambulance and let them take you to hospital. You have a wife and baby at home." Mason looked down for a moment before leaning back into the ambulance where a paramedic had been sitting waiting for him, when Mason was finally comfortable Alison helped close the doors as the younger paramedic from earlier hoped in and finally the ambulance drove away. Alison sighed while rubbing her forehead, it was only then that she realised how much trouble Emily was really in, she had been so focused on everything else that it had only really just hit her. She was about to walk back over to the detective when Derek was suddenly in front of her again.

"You need to get checked over by a medic Alison, please."

"I need to see Emily, are they sorting out a way to get her out?"

"They are, but please give them time, while they do that, let someone help you." Derek took Alison's arm gently and guided her towards another ambulance that was standing by for an emergency.

"Fine. If you insist." She replied and he seemed to relax instantly as he sat her down on the edge of the ambulance. After almost fifteen minutes Alison was considered good enough to stay, though that was after she spent five of those minutes convincing the paramedic that the lump and blood on the back her head wasn't that painful and wasn't going to cause any problems.

"See? I told you I was fine, now where is that Detective?" She aimed at Derek who was obviously displeased with the fact that she had convinced the medic to let her stay.

"He's getting his men into position. He tried calling Paige before but she disconnected the phone, or won't answer. I can't remember."

"Derek, for fuck sakes!" Alison raised her hands in the air, ignoring the stares from everyone around them. "This is serious."

"I know! I know, I'm sorry." He replied softly, aware of how insensitive he had just sounded. Before Alison could continue a gunshot came from inside the house, it wasn't loud but it was enough to make everyone out in the street jump and the moment after a squad of men with guns were running towards the house.

"Oh my god! Emily!" She screamed when she realised what was happening, her natural instinct was the run but she was quickly stopped by a paramedic and Derek. She was fearing the worst, as any rational person would, it seemed everyone else had assumed the same too, the remaining police that lingered outside were either talking on radios to people on the inside or were trying to push bystanders away.

"It's okay, she'll be okay. They're going to get her." Derek mused softly as Alison thrashed against his hold.

"Let me go!" She screamed but it was no use, she stopped squirming after a few minutes only to immediately start trying to escape again when she heard through someone's radio that a paramedic was needed. She didn't know what was happening and the suspense was almost killing her, that was until paramedics were told to wait instead of passing the police tape line towards the house, meaning that either Paige was disarmed somehow and Emily was safe… or… the exact opposite.

"What's going on?" She asked a policeman that had just finished talking on the radio, but he didn't answer and looked up towards the front of the house, Emily was in Detective Logan's arms, her body white and her head lying limply backwards.

"I need a medic!" He called loudly and then two men rushed passed the police line tape and up the front path to his aid. Tears were already streaming down Alison's face as she tried to get closer but she was denied access at the tape barrier and forced to wait until Emily was placed on a wheeled stretcher and brought down to an ambulance.

"Let me through!" She demanded and somehow managed to squeeze her way through the crowd that had also somehow managed to form. She didn't even know who all the people were, she just saw a flood of different coloured uniforms. "Is she okay? What happened?" She asked to the first paramedic who had already loaded Emily into the back of the ambulance and was attending to her.

"We're not sure, she didn't get shot but she's unresponsive, we're taking her to hospital now." He replied and Alison got into the ambulance without permission, sat at the back behind Emily so she could see everything while being out of the paramedic's way, she looked over at Derek who waited at the edge for orders. "Deal with this and then meet us at the hospital." With his orders Derek nodded and shut the ambulance door, a soft thud followed and the ambulance shot off.

"Do you have any idea what's wrong with her?" Alison asked as she took a tight hold of Emily's cold hand.

"I don't have a lot to go off Miss DiLaurentis, the oxygen mask is really the only thing I can do right now."

"She was telling me her stomach hurts earlier tonight." Alison pointed out as she cupped Emily's cold cheeks in her hands and the paramedic shot his head up quickly.

"Did she say what kind of pain?"

"No, she just kept repressing it and with all the pain in her shoulder I honestly couldn't tell which problem was giving her more grief." She slowly stroked the brunette's cheeks hoping it would wake her up but mostly just to calm her never resting nerves. The paramedic immediately unraveled his stethoscope from his neck and hastily lifted Emily's shift to listen to the areas around her chest and lower abdomen.

"Has she been sick recently?"

"No." Alison quirked an eyebrow curiously but didn't question the man further, she merely continued to stroke and observe him, that was until Emily coughed harshly and caught her full attention, she didn't speak however – her eyes merely half opened for a moment only to close again.

"Em? Baby?" Alison tried but there was no response.

"What about her eating habits? Any changes?"

"I… I don't know."

"It's okay, don't stress Miss DiLaurentis, she will be fine." The ambulance finally came to a halt and the doors flew open, the paramedic and she assumed the driver quickly pulled Emily out and wheeled her towards the automatic doors with "Emergency" written above. Alison was surprised to find Duncan waiting outside for them, only to realise that of course he was going to be there because Mason was already in hospital.

"Miss DiLaurentis! Oh my goodness, are you okay?" He was quick to her side but she merely nodded and followed the paramedics that was pushing Emily into the bright white emergency room. A nurse was ready at their side and she was shortly joined by two others who were helping the two paramedics lift Emily onto a new hospital bed.

"I suspect she has a ruptured appendix, and I believe a broken collarbone too. She hasn't spoken at all in my care and has only been conscious once, for about half a minute."

"Okay, thank you John." One of the nurses replied as the two paramedics backed away to let them do their job. Alison had been at Emily's side right until a nurse had held her back, she didn't want to let Emily go but she knew there was no objecting, not once had any real emotion hit her until the doors they had pushed Emily passed had closed. She felt tears in the corner of her eyes but held them back.

"Miss DiLaurentis, Emily will be alright, she is in great hands. Why don't we get that injured head looked at?" The nurse who had spoken to the paramedics asked sweetly and Alison sort of nodded, she was lost in thought and feeling somewhat unresponsive herself. Was Emily going to be okay? What had happened inside the house to make her pass out? Where was Paige? What had Paige done to her? Many questions ran through her mind and it made her so mentally out of it that she didn't realise other people in the hospital staring as the nurse pulled her into an empty room for inspection.

"How long will she be in surgery for?" Alison finally found her voice after the nurse spent about five minutes attending to the back of her head.

"A few hours at least, but let's focus on you for now okay? I think this cut needs a few stitches. How you managed to convince the paramedics you were fine is beyond me." Usually Alison would've made some smart-ass remark about always getting what she wants but nothing seemed to be functioning, she could barely breath let alone respond with a witty comment.

"Alison?" Duncan questioned after placing his phone back into his pocket, he had been in the room watching over her while waiting for news on Mason.

"What?" She replied quietly, her eyes focused ahead of her but at nothing in particular.

"Derek wanted to know if he could leave the house with the police watching it? He wants to come here and be with you."

"Whatever he thinks is best." She shrugged and moments later the nurse was explaining the process of stitches in her head, the sharp prick of a needle in the back of her head surprised her but moments later the area was numbed and she couldn't feel a thing the nurse was doing. Time after that passed like a blur, she didn't even know where she was, all she saw was the white floor on which she paced back and forth until Derek was holding her shoulder to stop her.

"Come on, I'll take you to the car so there's no one staring." He was trying to be genuine but Alison was in no mood.

"I am not leaving this hospital until I know what is wrong with Emily, do you understand me?" She whispered harshly before continuing to pace. Duncan was sitting on a chair not fair away, his knee tapping up and down profusely as he waited for Lillie to get to the hospital, he had called Mason's wife almost half an hour ago but since it _was_ almost seven in the morning and the sun was up the traffic was probably starting to pile up.

"Okay, I just don't want people to bother you that's all." Derek tried to defend quickly.

"See _all_ these people? They're in emergency just like me, either waiting for news about themselves or about someone important to them. They _will not_ give a shit if I'm here."

"Okay, but please, at least sit down. You've got stitches in your head for goodness sakes." Derek said cautiously, aware that his offer could potentially back fire and Alison could lose her temper, thought after a moment she stopped pacing and realised that her head was aching slightly _and_ that the pacing couldn't have been helping. Sitting down beside Duncan she sighed and lay her head on his shoulder without thinking, she was exhausted and in pain but none of it seemed to matter – that was until about nine in the morning when Cece walked into the hospital in her doctor robes and looked at them curiously before almost running to their side.

"What the hell are you guys doing here?" She said as she placed her clipboard on the seat beside Alison and pulled her up from Duncan's shoulder. "And what the hell happened to your head? And where the hell is Emily _and_ Mason? Did shit seriously go down at your place last night? I thought that was a big media circus of lies." Cece had finally finished her rambling and looked over at Duncan when Alison didn't muster up a reply.

"It's a long story babe." He said after tucking in his shirt that had been rustled and wrinkle sometime earlier that morning. "Mason got out of surgery about half an hour ago, his wife and daughter are with him now. He's still in recovery but the bullet-"

"Wait, what? Surgery? Bullet? What the hell happened?" She interrupted and then looked back at Alison who was still gazing off in the distance, her eyes exhausted and her mind even worse. She just wanted Emily back. "Follow me." Cece said with a concerned sigh and she walked towards the nurse's station by the emergency bay and informed them to contact her immediately the moment Emily was out of surgery, she also grabbed some papers but Alison didn't take note of what they were.

"I'm not leaving Cece."

"They are going to call me the moment she gets out of surgery Ali, that is literally faster than waiting in that crowded room with many people constantly staring at you." The taller blonde pointed out matter-of-factly and began pulling Alison towards the closest elevator, both Duncan and Derek followed quietly.

No one said a word the entire time, Alison didn't pay attention to any detail, she wasn't even positive no one had said anything, it was merely that everything sounded the same and she couldn't distinguish the difference. The moment Cece put her in a room and sat her on what she assumed to be some sort of medical bed the blonde began inspecting the now stitched up gash at the back of her head.

"Does this hurt?" She questioned concerningly.

"Not really." She murmured incoherently and Cece twitched her lip slightly in displeasure before turning around to grab something from her desk.

"Here." The blonde said as she handed Alison something she had pulled from her desk. "It'll help with the pain. What happened anyway? Someone hit you over the back of the head with a baseball bat?"

"No, a gun."

"What the shit Ali?" Cece explained and she looked over at Duncan who was rubbing his head slowly as he leant over his knees in a chair across from her desk.

"Paige was at the house, it's been a really long twenty-four hours Cece, can we not talk about… wait… What happened to Paige?" Alison suddenly stood and looked first at Derek then towards Duncan who both looked at each other, swallowed and then returned their focus back to Alison.

"She… um…" Derek stuttered slowly. "After you left the police got everyone out of the street to make space for a black van. Everything kind of thinned out after that, that detective got a statement from me and as he was finishing his last couple of questions they brought… her out… um…" He cleared his throat uncomfortably and looked towards Duncan for help, obviously he wasn't there in person but he had been filled in on the details way before Alison had even thought to ask.

"The black van was the coroners van, Alison."

"Oh my god." Cece whispered and Alison sat back down in shock before putting her head into her hands. "How?" Alison heard Cece ask but she didn't want to listen anymore, her head felt like it was about to explode, she had definitely despised Paige, but never wanted her dead!

"I can only assume by gun shot, they wouldn't tell me though." Derek said quietly and Alison stood up again, she _really_ didn't want to hear anymore, walking over to the large glass window she looked down into the LA traffic below and wished that it was just another normal day for her, she wished that right now she was waking up in her bed with Emily entangled in her side. Moments passed and no one spoke, afraid to upset Alison further but suddenly, as if knowing it couldn't have been better timing, Cece's desk phone starting ringing – turning in hast Alison looked over at her as she answered.

"Doctor Drake." She said as she put the phone to her ear, suddenly feeling very self-conscious with everyone in the room watching her, waiting. "Thank you, I will be down shortly." She didn't say goodbye but quickly hung up and stood. "She's out of surgery. She's okay, now come on." The blonde pulled Alison straight out of the room and took her back downstairs where a separate room from emergency surgeries parts off to the side and requires an access pass or someone from the other side granting access. Cece pulled out her key car and turned towards Derek and Duncan with an apologetic look.

"They will probably only want one person in at a time, I'm being pushy with Alison."

"Duncan, you go to Mason, make sure he's okay and Derek… go talk to the police about…" Alison began but she couldn't finish, though she didn't really need too.

"I'll see what else I can find out, but mostly I'll just sort everything out so you will have somewhere to sleep tonight okay?" He said genuinely and she nodded softly in return.

"Thank you." With one final goodbye Duncan and Derek left and it was just Cece and Alison making their way through the automatic doors that swung open the moment scanned her access card. Walking down a very clean and quite hallway Cece stopped at the closest nurses station, it was probably then that reality came back to Alison a little because a few of the nurses shifted their eyes when they realised who she was.

"Hey Carol, how's it going?"

"Slow today Miss Drake, which is always a good thing around here." Carol replied, she was an older woman but had a soft tone, though Cece didn't have time to make small talk as Alison shifted from foot to foot impatiently.

"I would like to hang around but which bed is Miss Fields?"

"Fields… Fields…" Carol murmured as she looked down at her computer. "Sixteen, she's only just gotten into recovery though. I doubt she'll be talking anytime soon."

"That's okay, she was a patient of mine briefly." Cece continued and Alison would've looked at her curiously if she weren't so ready to see her fiancé.

"No worries, the documentation on her surgery is here," Carol said as she went through a filing cabinet, pulled out a small crème folder and handed it to Cece. "And all her charts are in their usual place."

"Thanks, hun." The blonde smiled before dragging Alison down the hallway but once she realised they were moving again she had no troubles following her friend.

"Since when was she your patient?"

"I treated her at some points… with her shoulder… like I said. _Briefly_."

"I can't believe they believed you."

"They didn't, it's a formality so _she_ doesn't get in trouble. No one will care though." As they walked and Cece talked she looked for the bed that was Emily's, most of the people that were occupying the other beds were asleep or too drowsy to know where they were let alone who Alison was. "Here we go, sixteen." She opened the curtain that had been slightly shut at some point by a previous doctor or nurse. Wasting no time Alison went straight to Emily's side, the brunette was very much still asleep and probably would be for a few more hours sign anestheticalways did a good job. Cece made herself busy by looking at Emily's charts that where in another folder hanging on the edge of the bed, nothing really out of the ordinary but the moment Alison looked up at her expectantly she knew it would probably sound worse than it actually was, so out of habit she closed the curtain – though it seemed pointless since they weren't sound proof.

"So, what happened?" She asked, her hand touching Emily's arm which now felt warm and comforting to her, she wasn't cold and lifeless, it was reassuring – that was until she looked at the nasal cannula and the sling that held her arm in place, at this rate the brunette's shoulder would never heal.

"Ruptured appendix, apparently it was a severe case. They did some quick X-Rays before the surgery," Cece began while pulling out a dark blue plastic sheet from the folder and lifting it up to the light. "They found a small abscess… Weird…" Alison quirked an eyebrow curiously at Cece for further explanation and then looked down at Emily's hand which twitch every few seconds, she found it comforting. "Sorry, _usually_ the abscess or 'infection' is found before the appendix bursts and a surgeon will drain it and after recovery remove the appendix. In some and rarer cases, such as Emily's from what I've read, they've had to perform both in one surgery, but that's mostly because the infection went untreated and thus for the appendix burst."

"But… she's okay now, right?" Alison understood what Cece was saying, but it was the only question she desperately wanted the answer too.

"Yes, recovery is going to suck for her though. It says here they've left the tubing that drains out the infection in her abdominal wall as a precaution and to get out the remainder post-surgery."

"Okay…" Alison mused slowly, not fully understanding the necessity but not complaining her fiancé was alright.

"Long story short, a bad infection caused her appendix to burst and they've kept a small tube in her to do some extra cleaning if need be. She'll have to get it removed in a couple of weeks but for now lets just focus of her recovery and that shoulder of hers. There's not much information on it, just that there's severe bruising and possible breakage which will have to be examined later."

"What am I going to say to her parents?" Alison whispered a few moments after she processed everything.

"Just tell them what you can, she won't need to be in hospital long. There's not much being here will do except take up a bed, I will talk to her surgeon later and ask when he think's she'll be ready to go."

"That seems early, isn't that too soon?"

"Appendicitis is awful, trust me I know, but I can promise you she will feel better being at home."

"Are you sure about that?" Alison questioned reminding Cece about the commotion that took place less than eight hours ago.

"Derek will organise that all out." She stated confidently but Alison merely hummed vaguely before putting her hand in her pocket subconsciously to grab her phone, only to realise that Paige must have taken it off her at some point and she had no way of calling Emily's parents.

"Can I borrow your mobile? Just to make some calls and figure this all out."

"Sure, I'm going to organise getting her moved from emergency recovery and into a private room, just in case she needs to stay the night. Why don't you go see Mason and then I'll message you the room number?" As Alison took her phone she looked at Cece curiously but before she could question her the blonde quickly interrupted. "I'll borrow one of the nurses phones and message myself."

"Okay, do you know where Mason is? I forgot to ask Duncan."

"Hold on, I'll ask one of the girls at the station I'm sure they can call someone for me and find out." Cece walked out from behind the curtain and headed back down the hallway, giving Alison the chance to give Emily a small peck on the forehead and then lips, the fine plastic tubing that sat on the brunette's top lip tickled her slightly.

"I don't really wanna leave you baby, but I'll be here when you wake up." Alison whispered as she again kissed Emily's forehead and left the small curtain roomed space. She caught up with Cece and got directions to Mason's floor, the blonde insisted on going with her, her excuse was she wanted to see Mason but Alison thought it was secretly so she could monitor her, not that she really cared as she was so physically and emotionally exhausted she felt she would drop to sleep at any second. Dialing a few numbers on Cece's phone to keep her mind busy she rubbed her eyes as she waited for the person on the other line to answer.

"Hello?" Hanna was clearly curious as to who the caller was when she answered.

"Hanna, it's me Ali."

"Holy shit! Alison! Are you okay? There's a crazy news report going around here that some huge show down went on at your place." Hanna exclaimed and Alison suddenly felt a wave of overwhelming emotion crash over her but she held in her cries, though her voice did tremble for the rest of the call.

"Han, can you send me through Emily's parents phone numbers to this number? I can't remember theirs."

"Wait… is Emily okay?" Hanna gasped on the other side.

"She's okay now, can you please send me those numbers? I'll explain everything later. I promise."

"Uh yeah sure, are you okay?"

"Yes, I just need to call them, they deserve to know everything first. I'll call you back later okay?" Alison held back a yawn as Cece silently showed her which way to go. The sun shined brightly through the hospital windows and Alison felt like she had gone through some weird time warp and had lost of sense of time.

"Okay, call me if you need anything else."

"Thank you, bye." The blonde said as genuinely as possible and after Hanna said a sweet and reassuring goodbye she hung up. A few seconds later a message came through with the numbers she needed.

"Mason's room is this one, I'm going to go in so I can leave you to call her parents, okay?"

"Thanks again for the phone." Alison murmured and turned away to lean against the wall while dialing a number, she heard Cece open the door and close it behind her as the phone rang against her ear. It seemed loud and invasive, it was suddenly very unwelcoming to her ears, until Emily's mother answered that was and she couldn't find the right words.

"Hello?" Pam asked again persistently.

"Pam? It's me… Alison."

 **Boom! Hope everyone liked, I tried to power through this chapter so sorry if it seemed rushed (and double sorry for spelling/ grammar mistakes) I will also go into more detail about what happened with Paige and Emily next chapter (for the people who think I'm just going to skip over it) there's a purpose I promise ^.^**

 **Oh p.s. I hope no one is hating me…. For the whole Paige dying thing :/ I actually kind of hate killing characters off but I felt like it needed to happen – as I said though it will be explained.**

 **BUT ALSO! *SPOILER ALERT FOR ANYONE WHO'S NOT UP TO DATE WITH PLL* WITH EMISON BEING ENDGAME IN THE REAL SHOW! AHHHHHHHHHH I SCREAMED LIKE A LITTLE GIRL SO MUCH THROUGH THE LAST COUPLE OF EPISODES! PLEASE TELL ME I'M NOT ALONE!**

 **Okay I've fangirled enough… for now ;)**

 **Hope you enjoyed – leave a review if you've got time and any thoughts/ideas you wanted to share or see in the future.**

 **Have a good day/night wherever you are!**


	30. Chapter 30

_**Chapter Thirty**_

It was midday and Alison was yet to sleep, after a very long phone call with Pam and Wayne organizing when they would be coming to LA, she went and saw Mason, he was exhausted also but surgeons successfully removed the bullet in his shoulder and he was clear to go home within a few hours. He didn't feel much like speaking, no one did really. Derek had told them that the media was everywhere on what had happened, mostly because he didn't know what else to say, everything with him was always work related – he couldn't help it.

"Emily was moved to a private room." Cece stated after looking down at her pager, the blonde had been in and out of Mason's room throughout the morning to attend to her work, Alison looked over at her in a daze before standing.

"Has she woken up yet?"

"Carol said she was in and out but you can visit her now anyway. Her doctor will be there waiting, I'd go with you but I have to go see a patient." Cece gave Alison a hug before saying goodbye to everyone else and leaving.

"Alison?" Mason called softly and she turned back to face him.

"Yeah?"

"I want Duncan to go with you." He replied and she looked towards Duncan who had been quiet since that morning, he looked uncomfortable at leaving Mason's side but stood when he was given his orders.

"Okay, but when you're heading home I want Duncan to go with you, Derek will be back soon and he can stay with me until Duncan gets back." She said to more Duncan than Mason, but both men nodded understandingly.

"Cece said she was in Ward F in room four." Duncan said as they left the room, he was looking at his phone so she assumed Cece must have messaged him at some point. "Derek said he will meet us there a little later."

"Okay." She replied quietly and put her head down to avoid stares in the now relatively crowded hospital. When they finally made it to ward F she was slightly surprised to notice it was almost completely opposite to the rest of the hospital, quiet, almost too quiet, very erry and unwelcoming since Alison had become so used to the noise – even if she had learnt to block it out.

"It's weird, isn't it?" Duncan mumbled as they walked, their footsteps the only thing filling their ears.

"Unnervingly so." She replied as they finally found the nurses station for that ward. Everyone who was sitting down looked up from their computers the moment she stopped, their faces shocked before the remembered she was there to see Emily, Alison knew she would never get used to reactions from hospital staff – they obviously knew who Emily was and in turn who she was dating, so though it's no surprise to see Alison where Emily was, it was somehow still surprising.

"Hi," She began as politely as possible, "I just wanted to know where room four was."

"Yes, of course, Ma'am." An older woman replied, she had stood from her desk and had been the first to verbally acknowledge Alison. "Won't be a moment." She continued as she picked up the phone and dialed a number quickly. "Doctor Greens, Miss DiLaurentis is here now." She waited for the person on the other end to reply. "Excellent, thank you." She hung up and walked around to meet Alison. "The surgeon had to quickly see another patient but he is on his way as we speak, now Miss Fields room is just down the hall on the right, the room number is on the top of each door if you do get stuck."

"Thank you." Alison replied gratefully and turned before the stares of the other nurses was going to drive her insane. She walked down the hallway quietly, she didn't know it was possible but the further she walked the quieter it got, it seemed sound died out the more her converse softly squeaked against the clean white vinyl of the rubber-like floor. After passing rooms six and five she couldn't help but turn her head back down the hallway, to no surprise did she catch a few nurses looking at her only to quickly pretend they were doing anything else. Duncan took a deep breath beside her as she reached for the door handle and Alison paused to look up at him curiously.

"Do you want to go back to Mason?" She offered genuinely.

"You know he would kick my ass if I left you." He murmured quietly, his usual bubbly voice seemed to have evaporate over the course of the last twenty-four hours, she nodded softly before turning to open the door once more but Duncan spoke again when her hand found its destination. "I _will_ wait out her though."

"Okay." She whispered, suddenly not liking the sound of her voice, it was cracking and sore – sticky with exhaustion. Opening the door and shutting it behind her Alison was quick to Emily's sleeping side, the brunette looked the same as when she had left her, except not as pale and she felt even warmer – this discovery brought an instant smile of relief to Alison's face. Emily groaned slightly at Alison's touch and her head moved side by side but her eyes didn't open.

"Hi baby." The blonde whispered a few minutes later when she finally managed to gain some perspective, though the situation was grim Emily was okay, she was safe and healthy, granted she would be in a lot of pain but she was going to be okay. Alison had spent most of the day telling herself that she wouldn't freak out, or go over the top with emotions the moment Emily woke up, she would be calm and collected. She would be rational and soft, she would hold Emily's hand lightly and let her adjust and recover from her surgery.  
She watched Emily's chest rise and fall, every so often she would shift or groan but it wasn't until almost half an hour had passed that the brunette's eyes slowly opened.

"Ali?" She mumbled softly and Alison looked up from her daze, a larger smile formed and she stood quickly to hold Emily's cheeks in her hands.

"Oh baby! Oh my god. I missed you, how are you feeling? Are you okay? I'm so sorry." She rambled and Emily blinked slowly, she looked dazed and confused, which was no doubt the after effects of the anesthetic but Alison couldn't help herself, she didn't know if it was because she had barely said much at all since the whole ordeal or if it was because she had felt so physically exhausted that it wasn't until then she realised how tired she actually was.

"What… what happened?" She mumbled almost incoherently while trying to wipe her eyes, only to stop when she discovered one arm had a needle in it and the other – her shoulder – was so stiff she could barely feel it, let alone move it.

"Um, I…well…" Alison was suddenly lost for words again but was quickly rescued when the door opened and a taller man entered the room, he was dressed professionally, a nice light blue business shirt complimented with a navy-blue tie, most of it was covered by his doctors' coat though. Alison assumed him to be Doctor Green, and she was secretly thankful for his timing.

"Good morning Ladies, I'm Doctor Green, I was the head surgeon for your surgery Emily." He said, his voice tired but his smile was warming. "How are you feeling Emily?" He continued as he walked into the room, opening his folder and clicking open a pen that he had pulled from one of his many pockets.

"Um…" Emily began slowly, she looked between Alison and the doctor – her head was aching and her stomach felt irritated but that was really it. She could feel a tightness near her waist line on the sensitive part of the skin but she couldn't move her hands well enough to investigate the cause. "Confused." She stated with a mere mumble, her eyes not focused on anything in particular as they were still adjusting to the light and her surroundings.

"Okay, well to put it simply you had an abscess that progressed to an infection which caused your appendix to burst, your appendix has been removed but a I have left a small tube where the appendix used to be, just to clear anything we may have missed." He was clearly trying to make what he was saying as simplistic as he could, but Emily merely looked between him and Alison for several long moments before she could function a rational sentence.

"But…" She mused softly and Alison took her hand in an attempt to comfort her, only to be shut down when the brunette tried to run her fingers through her hair, failing of course after she realised she could barely move. "What's wrong with my shoulder?"

"Well, the shoulder isn't my area of specialty so I can't help you with that, a quick X-Ray I done before you were moved here, one of the other doctors ordered that not too long ago, I believe Doctor Drake?" He said as he flipped through Emily's file to find the information he was after. "Yes, Doctor Drake, she requested them and well, what she says goes around here. From what I can tell there's some muscle issues, maybe a tear, I'm not entirely sure you'd probably need an MRI for that, but two of your four pins are either out of place or broken." He seemed to be reading completely from the file now, but Alison was glad, there was no way she was going to understand what was written down in it. "I don't mean to come across as insensitive, but the shoulder injury wasn't an emergency, my propriety was to stop the infection spreading to the rest of your body. I believe I have done that, but I would like to keep you here a few days for observation."

"Wait, what? I was told Emily could come home when she was out of recovery."

"Unfortunately, that can't be the case Miss DiLaurentis." He said, his tone thick with sympathy but before Alison could object a beeping came from Doctor Green's pocket and he apologized before pulling out a small pager, reading it carefully he looked up and smiled at Emily. "Do you have any questions Emily?" He asked kindly and she shook her head, no words left her mouth, if anything she looked more confused than before he came in but it was obvious he was a busy man and she didn't feel like talking anymore. "Okay, I've got to make way to a surgery now but if you do have any questions don't be afraid to call a nurse." He didn't wait for Emily to reply, not that she was going to. He turned and exited the room, giving Alison a very brief goodbye before shutting the door behind him.

"I'll be back in a sec." Alison stated and stood, Emily didn't say anything but she wasn't thinking about a reply, she was thinking about getting a proper explanation from the doctor before he disappeared for goodness knows how long.

"Doctor Green." She called down the hallway, he hadn't made it far but stopped when he heard his name, when he turned it was clear he was expecting Alison to follow. Duncan quickly stood from one of the chairs that sat almost awkwardly against the wall, it looked out of place but it seemed to be purposefully there, he went to follow Alison only to be told to stay by Emily's door – which he was obviously displeased with but did as he was told – while still watching Alison carefully from a distance.

"Yes, Miss DiLaurentis." Doctor Green tried to sound understanding but his exhaustion was obvious.

"Why can't Emily go home today?"

"Miss DiLaurentis, I do apologise for the miscommunication but Emily's surgery was a big one, even some people after a simple appendix surgery stay the night. Emily's infection was serious and I'm honestly a little surprised she hadn't come to the hospital days before. It was obvious to me that the abscess had not just come out of nowhere."

"So, the tubing, when will that come out?"

"Maybe in a couple of weeks, it depends on how she recovers, there's no exact amount of time for this kind of thing. She will be fine but I'd feel better if she was here, where she has help if needed."

"That's fine, what should I do about getting her shoulder sorted?"

"I… I will need to discuss it with another doctor and Emily." He almost stuttered, suddenly the man was losing his nerve even though he was practically towering over Alison.

"Why can't I help her? Obviously, she's in no state to organise such an issue."

"Miss DiLaurentis, I need you to understand, this is a private ward, you're not even supposed to be here. It's visiting restrictions are for family only, the reason you're here at all is because Doctor Drake is very…" He paused as he tried to think of the appropriate wording. "Persuasive." It was the politest word he could think of.

"Close family? Are you kidding? She's my fia-" Before she could finish out of pure rage someone held her shoulders tightly and interrupted her.

"That's a very delicate way of putting it Doctor Green." Cece was quick to stand in front of Alison, stopping her from revealing information that might still have been kept from the public if Derek was still doing his job.

"I try to be polite Doctor Drake." He chuckled in reply as he looked between the two blondes', who together could destroy entire cities with a single look, he was sure. Instantly he felt out-numbered, mostly because he had almost felt out-numbered the moment Alison had called out his name. There was a dominance about the both of them that made his usual confidence shutter like a little puppy and run away with its imaginary tale between its legs but he stood his ground and tried to retrieve some assistance from Cece, instead of confrontation. "Emily isn't ready to go home, and I was just telling Miss DiLaurentis this."

"Oh? I thought that might have been the case, how is she doing?"

"I believe a few days for observation is necessary, but ladies I must run, I am expected elsewhere." He turned so quickly it almost gave Alison a headache but she decided not to push the questioning any further, after all he was a doctor.

"You said she wouldn't need to stay here." She mumbled like a child after just being told no.

"I said, she wouldn't need to be in here _long_ and that I would organise her to be moved to a private room just in case she needed to stay the night." Cece justified quickly as she turned back to face Alison. "And be careful, that guy is a terrible secret keeper. Do you really want some self-entitled asshole earn a little more cash because he spilled the beans about your engagement, which by the way when were you going to tell me about that?"

"Can we not do this right now? Emily's parents are going to be here in a couple of hours and I _really_ can't deal with anything overly mentally stimulating."

"Fine, but I won't be able to convince him to let her go home. As much as I dislike him-"

"Yeah, um care to explain?" Alison interrupted before the blonde could finish.

"He asked me out, several times and I politely declined, he didn't like that though and has been shitty with me since. Anyway, as much as I dislike him, if he's keeper her here it's probably necessary."

"Cece, I'm not bothered that she has to stay here for the reasons you think. You're acting all judgy and its really kind of starting to piss me off."

"I'm not judging you Ali."

"I just want to be home with my girlfriend and live a normal fucking life okay?" She suddenly snapped, she wanted to scream but somehow controlled herself so it didn't echo down the hallway. Threading her fingers roughly into her hair Alison turned around began to pace, though she was quickly stopped by Cece's protective arms.

"Hey, it's okay." She mused as she hugged the distressed blonde, it seemed Alison's break down was long overdue, Cece had even been expecting it – she was just glad she was around to comfort her best friend. "You guys will do normal. Just not yet."

"She's really confused, Cece. And I don't know how to tell her what happened, I don't even know what happened. How can I explain something I don't fully understand?" The question was more rhetorical which Cece was grateful for because she really didn't have an answer to give.

"We don't know what happened still Ali, unless she is remembering for herself, try not to talk about it, the last thing that's going to help her recover is thinking about everything leading up to it."

"Alison?" Duncan was suddenly at their side, surprising both of them and quickly apologizing and stepping back slightly. "Mason just finished checking out. Should I go?"

"Yes, go." She murmured with an approving nod and Duncan nodded back, looking towards Cece he placed a soft kiss on her cheek and disappeared down the hallway. A beeping sound emanated from Cece's pocket before she could speak again, she sighed while pulling out her pager and then sighed again.

"Duty calls." She pulled Alison into a tight hug and rubbed her back. "I finish later tonight. I'll be back then."

"Okay." With that Cece was gone leaving Alison alone in the hallway, she didn't feel unsafe or uncomfortable, she didn't feel anything except for exhaustion. With a sigh and a quick adjustment of her hair she made her way back to Emily's room, only to stop when her phone began vibrating in her pocket. Derek had retrieved it for her and returned it before he had left to sort more business with, what she assumed, was the police and it was only then that she remembered he was supposed to be meeting up with her at Emily's room, he was yet to arrive but when she looked at the caller ID she figured he was about to explain his absence.

"What?" She answered coldly, not that she was mad at Derek and he understood that but she didn't feel much like faking small talk.

"Has Duncan left you?" He replied, just as straight to the point as she was.

"Yes, I told him too."

"I just finished with the cops, they want to get your statement though, I can't stop them Alison. I tried but they're persistent."

"Why are they so persistent?" She questioned curiously.

"I was curious about it too, at first I thought it was part of some… crime investigation but no."

"Just spit it out Derek, I'm not in the mood." Alison replied with a sour grumble.

"The coroner didn't need to do too much investigating to know how Paige died, obviously, sorry that came out wrong. But the cops couldn't tell who fired the gun until Emily was cleared from the scene."

"What are you saying?" Though Derek was muttering and stuttered and the question was clearly unnecessary since she could see where his thoughts were going.

"They need to speak with Emily, Alison. I can't stop that either."

"Derek, _what are you saying?_ " The blonde questioned again through gritted teeth.

"Look I'll be at the hospital soon, you know we shouldn't be talking over the phone like this."

"For fuck sakes Derek." She hung up and almost threw her phone against the wall in rage but resisted the growing urge and took a deep breath. What did Derek mean? Why tell her all that and give no answer? Was he purposefully trying to torture her? She moved against the wall and wiped her eyes of the tears that lingered. Was he really saying that Emily had shot Paige? _No_ , it couldn't have been that but even if that was the case, Emily wouldn't have done it out of cold blood. She wasn't like that. Why would he make it sound like it was so serious? She sniffed and wiped her eyes again. It was the first moment she had truly been alone in a very long time, moments were usually filled with Mason or Derek by her side, if not them then work, then when Emily came into the picture she was always around the brunette – not that she minded of course but suddenly it dawned on her that she was in fact alone. Isolated. She felt cold and her arms instinctively wrapped around her body the moment the word passed her thoughts, or perhaps it was her way of holding her crumbling self together. She felt like she was standing on the edge of a cliff, surrounded by nothing other than the drop before her, it made her feel sick and the feeling caused her to hunch forward. As though a colder wind had hit her across the face she stood back up again with confidence, grabbing the sleeves of her baggy black hoodie she wiped the remaining tears from her wet cheeks and opened the door to Emily's room. When she closed the door, the brunette looked away from the window she had been staring out of with a jump, she was clearly on edge and still very confused.

"Sorry." Alison almost whispered, afraid that the slightest sound could upset the brunette further. Emily didn't respond, she merely looked up at Alison with sad eyes, it was as though she was trying to figure out if Alison was real or not. A silence quickly fell upon them, it was dry and uncomfortable like when you swallowed bread without chewing it properly and it would get caught in the throat. Alison tried clearing her throat, hoping it would somehow make the thickness evaporate. But it didn't. Emily just looked away and shut her eyes in one final attempt to shut out the confusion. Flashes from the night before beamed unwelcomingly across her vision, the light coming in from outside was disorientating, not that she really knew if it was the night before – she had lost all concept of time. Anyone could have told her that it was Christmas and she'd probably believe it.

Neither of them spoke for a long time and it wasn't until about ten minutes had passed that Alison decided she wasn't okay with it, she also didn't know what to say. Her thoughts were clustered in no particular order in her head that there was no possible way of forming a ration question, or even a statement.

"Where's Paige?" Emily suddenly asked, her eyes back on Alison's tired ones, whose widened in surprise the moment the words filled the space between them, she tried covering her surprise by clearing throat but it would seem the brunette was so disorientated it wouldn't matter how she answered. "Ali?" She pushed when Alison stumbled for words.

"She… um…" She didn't know how to answer Emily, she was looking at her so innocently it was distracting. "I don't know Em." It was all she could manage but Emily's reaction was not one she was expecting, her eyebrows scrunched together in confusion and she looked around as if she was taking in her surroundings again.

"Oh my god." She whispered and the heart rate monitor that had been beating softly and innocently in the background changed pace slightly, not enough for Alison to completely freak out but enough for her to look up at it.

"What?" Alison questioned softly, hoping it would encourage the brunette to fill in some very large blanks from the time she left the house and when she was being carried out the front door by Detective Logan. "What is it Em?"

"Is… is she… dead?" Her voice was beyond lost now and her eyes looked dazed, Emily wasn't herself and Alison knew that Cece had been right, now was probably not the best time to be reliving the most recent events.

"Em, are you okay?"

"Just tell me what happened Ali." Emily spat out uncontrollably, though an overwhelming sensation began to build up in her stomach as everything began rushing back to her.

"I don't know what happened." She said again as she sat back in the chair, feeling unbelievable cornered and stuck.

"Miss Fields, it's okay. Calm down." The elder nurse from before was suddenly in the room, a blood pressure test kit by her side as a younger nurse walked in to assist her.

"No, someone needs to tell me what's going on. Why am I here? What's wrong with my arm?" Emily groaned as a pain shot up her collar bone, her body began to move into some sort of shock that she couldn't bring herself back from as she began thrashing around in her bed. Confusion was taking control of her thoughts and it clouded her already visually impaired judgement. Alison was quickly moved aside as the nurse pulled out a small needle from the bag that was strapped to the pressure testing kit, they had obviously come in prepared. Alison stood awkwardly at the end of the bed as Emily tried to fight against the two, though she was strong enough if she weren't injured, the effect of the drugs in her system began overriding her "fight or flight" mode and it made movement irratic and almost uncontrollable.

"It's okay, Emily. You're safe." The nurse continued to say, so softly it almost made Alison believe it, that was until she saw the woman inject Emily with something and it made her almost instantly fall asleep.

"What… what did you just do?" Alison whispered in confusion as she walked around the other side of Emily and took her limp hand.

"I gave her a sedative. I know it may seem extreme but she could cause more damage to her already very injured collar bone. This poor woman doesn't need any more pain." Alison paused, her mind on fire with the awful mixture of confusion and one too many questions. "Her blood pressure is a little high, but I think that might have been from what just happened. I'll monitor it throughout the afternoon and through the evening too."

"Okay." She murmured incoherently, as she sat back into the chair with a soft thud.

"Just press the call button if you need anything." The nurse said sympathetically once she had finished looking over the now still brunette, she wrote a few things in Emily's charts before placing it back in its hanger at the end of the bed and leaving, closing the door tightly behind her.

 _What the fuck am I going to do?_ She thought to herself while she leant against the arm of the chair, feeling her eyes shut slowly she placed her elbow on the edge and supported her tired head. She didn't think she had it in her to fall asleep, what if news was to get about everything and a media circus would show up? What if Emily woke up and she wasn't awake to support her? She couldn't fall asleep.

-x-

Pam and Wayne were walking through a crowd of people, after Duncan had picked them up from the hospital he drove them to the hospital and had to go through various stages of security. Mostly it was just locked doors and many nurses questioning them. The hospital felt like it was on lock down and because of that, it seemed like it was overly crowded and disorganized.

"Through here." Duncan quickly guided them down a hallway that seemed closed off from the rest of the hospital. He seemed distracted but that was only because his mind was with Mason and the amount responsibility that had suddenly thrust upon him. Scanning his security card on a small black object sitting on the wall outside a set of double doors caused the item to beep and then on command the heavy doors swung open. Outstretching his hand politely Duncan allowed the Fields to walk through first before quickly over-taking them so he could continue to guide them. After a few quick twists and turns through several hallways he stopped abruptly in front of a door, taking the handle, he opened in and again outstretched his hand to allow them first access.

The room was silent and almost dark now that the sun was setting, Wayne and Pam could see Emily on the bed apparently still fast asleep but she was obviously accompanied by Alison who was also clearly asleep. Wayne, without thinking, switched on the light, they didn't know if it was the sound or if it was the gross industrial yellow light suddenly filling the room that made Alison jump awake. She rubbed her still very tired eyes and stood in shock, looking over at Emily first and then too the door she was very surprised to see Wayne, Pam and Duncan standing there apologetically.

"Mr and Mrs Fields, I'm so sorry." She said softly, trying to be considerate of Emily who she was very glad was still asleep. Adjusting her hair that hadn't been done since the day before just after she finished work, she still couldn't believe that this whole commotion had gone over less than twenty-four hours.

"Alison, dear don't be sorry. Come here." Pam was already at the bed side holding Emily's hand but she was just as quick to Alison's side to give her a hug. It was then that the weight of the situation finally washed over Alison and she fell to pieces right on Pam's shoulder. She felt a set of strong hands on shoulders rubbing comfortingly, she assumed it to be Wayne but she didn't move her head to look.

"It's okay sweetheart." She mused sweetly. "You need rest." The older woman continued as guided Alison to the seat she had so quickly stood from.

"No, no it's okay. You guys should sit." Alison tried to resist but with Pam and Wayne combined she had no choice but to sit down.

"We've been sitting on a plane for hours." Wayne finally spoke, his deep voice comforting and sweet, like honey in a warm cup of tea during a freezing winter storm. Alison tried to believe him, tried to understand everything that was going on, but nothing seemed to make sense.

"Alison, Derek is here. He has more information about what happened. He's making his way up now, through the crowd, it might take him a while." The information Duncan was presented seemed odd, was he asking for permission to allow Derek inside? Or was he simply stating the obvious to make sure she understood what was going on.

"Go find him, now would be an appropriate time since Pam and Wayne are here now." She stated plainly and Duncan went to nod but paused, which did not go unnoticed by Alison.

"Maybe you should get some rest Ali. You haven't done much of it since you got here." He tried bravely and Alison was sure if she wasn't so tired she probably would have told him off, put him in his place – maybe even the old her would have fired him for speaking his mind when he wasn't paid to do so. But she didn't, and she didn't know if it was because she had lost so much nerve or because she just wasn't emotionally all there.

"I was asleep when you came in, and I definitely shouldn't have been for her sake." She looked over towards Emily who was still fast asleep, it was then Alison realised that Emily had moved since the nurses had sedated her, perhaps she had awoken at some point or perhaps she had merely tossed and turned in her slumber, she was hoping it was the second option just because she would have felt awful for not being there when she was needed.

"Ali-" Duncan began but Alison rose her hand, it wasn't aggressive but he knew it was enough to scare him into silence.

"Go get him, Duncan." She said quietly and sat forward in the chair so she could hold onto Emily's hand, Pam was sitting in the spare chair that Duncan had been sitting on earlier that day and Wayne was standing so straight and still Alison was sure he could pass as a statue. Without arguing Duncan turned and left, shutting the door tightly behind him.

"What happened, Alison?" Pam was the first to speak but Alison could tell Wayne was anxious to ask the same question.

"I don't know the whole story because Emily hasn't been awake long enough to tell it but when I came home from work it seemed the security system had malfunctioned." Alison's eyes didn't leave Emily's hand, there was no way she could tell the whole story directly to Pam and Wayne's face, she couldn't bear the thought of looking into their eyes and seeing disappointment. If it was anything like seeing disappointment in Emily's eyes she knew it would be impossible seeing it from her parents.

After explaining all she knew of what had happened over the last several hours, even Emily's condition, Wayne and Pam remained silent for what seemed like forever.

"Paige is… dead?" Wayne swallowed a large lump that sat awkwardly in the back of his throat and Alison nodded slowly.

"How?" Pam continued.

"Gun shot."

"Who… shot the gun?" The older Fields woman was trembling slightly as her mind drew to quick conclusions.

"We don't know yet." No one spoke after that, Pam and Wayne merely busied themselves with Emily's medical files to distract their minds, since they had no idea what was really going on.

"She was sedated?" Wayne asked, his voice shaking but his eyes were hot with anger and confusion.

"Why?" Pam continued and both heads turned to Alison, this was the first time she had looked up at them since they had arrived and sure enough it was almost impossible to look at them directly. Worse than disappointment was the dangerous combination of confusion and sadness, Alison didn't know if it was possible to feel any worse.

"She had woken up earlier today and she kind of…" She paused, not because she didn't want to tell them what had happened but because she didn't know how to tell them. "She was confused and went into this kind of… rage."

A thick silence filled the air and Pam almost ran to Emily's side, stroking her head softly she examined her daughter. This was not what she had in the mind when she was to see Emily and Alison again, considering the last time they had spoken the pair had just gotten engaged. This thought made her mind subconsciously look down to Emily's left hand, which was ring-less, and though it was only through the camera of a computer she was sure Emily had shown her a ring.

"Are you two not… engaged anymore?" She couldn't help asking the question, out of all the questions that circled her tired and confused mind, it was the only one that merited a response. Alison looked down at Emily's hand to follow Pam's line of questioning only to be reminded that Emily had taken off the ring and gave it to Alison to make a believable point to Paige.

"Yes, we are." She felt around her jean pockets and sighed in relief when she felt the hardness of the ring sit safely between the fabric and her upper thigh. It wasn't the money she was worried of losing, she was terrified of losing the most symbolic and sentimental item she had ever given Emily. Sure, it could be replaced – after all it was just jewellery – but the way she had proposed and presented Emily the ring could never be replaced. "She just had to give it to me at one point." She explained vaguely and both Pam and Wayne could sense she had relived enough experience for the time being. As though sensing the timing was right Duncan and Derek entered the room, being quick to shut the door behind them Derek straightened his suit and adjusted his hair before presenting his hand to Wayne.

"Mr. Fields, and Mrs. Fields, I'm Derek Alison's manager, I'm sorry we had to meet under such awful circumstances." He shook Wayne's hand firmly before lightly shaking Pam's, they exchanged pleasantries before resuming their previous positions, Derek stood at the end of the bed with his hands folded before him. "Can you guard the door, please?" He asked Duncan politely. Duncan looked over at Alison for confirmation since he did technically work for her, she nodded approval and he quietly made his way outside.

"My job here is to protect Alison, and Emily." He began with a kind smile and Alison looked up at him, his softness confusing her only because he had always been so… harsh. "Since their engagement my role has changed slightly." He clarified and Alison looked back down at Emily, she wished the brunette would just wake up again so she could apologise.

"How do you mean?" Pam asked curiously.

"Well, I'm supposed to protect Alison's lifestyle, her interests and her relationships. My job has always been a bit more than a manager because Alison is not your usual actress, she will explain that to you in the future if she hasn't already I'm sure." _Thanks, Derek_. Alison thought to herself, more pressure but she knew he meant well. "My point is, and I apologise if this is not what you wanted but as the police were hasty to gather evidence for this case, I – as I would do if it was Alison – spoke on her behalf. Now I know usually if there is no technical spouse that responsibility is moved to the parents. That's why I informed the police that I would be Emily's lawyer if needed."

"Lawyer? Why would she need a lawyer?" Wayne was standing close to Derek, taking in every single word he had to say since it was his little girl they were taking about.

"Emily may need to talk to the police when she is conscious and healthy due to the situation, since there was a death there are procedures. Now, I am giving this option now to take over, if you would like?" He looked over to Alison as though she was going to object, even though she wasn't "I'm sorry, since you aren't married yet they do have the right."

"No, it's okay, I understand." Alison tried to force a smile, it wasn't that she wanted to object to what he was saying but more that she was so exhausted and all these formalities were starting to annoy her.

"It's fine, I think my wife and I would feel better knowing you're going to be there to support her." Wayne said and Pam nodded in agreement.

"Okay, well it was obvious from Emily's injuries that she wasn't capable of firing a weapon, her body went into a sort of shut down mode after a certain amount of time due to the combination of pain and the ruptured appendix. I have doctors who are willing to testify to that, though it won't be necessary as both the coroner and forensic detective concluded that Miss McCullers' wound was…" He paused and forced himself to swallow, he suddenly didn't feel so professional with three sets of eyes stressing him down for an answer, or more appropriately closer. "Miss McCullers' wound was self-inflicted." The room went silent and Alison sat back in her chair, though the news shouldn't really have surprised her since she was the last person to see Emily before she was left alone with Paige, she felt nothing but the sinking feeling of shock and guilt. "Though the security systems did fail I was able to go through them and discover that the cameras were still working. The police have taken the footage over the last forty-eight hours as evidence."

Alison wanted to question Derek but she didn't, she merely felt her brain shut down, she hadn't even seen anyone else in the room react – she can only assume it was the normal response when it came to such news – not that there could be a 'normal' for such a situation. When she looked up she saw all eyes on her, assessing her. Waiting. But she did nothing, except sigh sadly and rub her head tiredly.

"So, the cameras got everything?" She finally questioned when the stares became too much.

"Yes." Derek answered sympathetically. "Miss McCullers' family will be notified, if they haven't been already. But as far as I can assume there won't be any legal obligations on our behalf once Emily provides her statement. Which as I said, she can do when she's healthier. There would only have obligations to the law if Emily had… um…" He stalled and then avoided finishing his sentence when he saw all eyes fall onto him again. "At any rate, I think it's all been dealt with."

"Thank you for doing all that." Pam said kindly, her eyes only leaving Emily for a moment to give Derek a soft smile.

"I brought you some clothes." He directly at Alison as he made his way to her side, in his hand was a black duffle bag that she hadn't even noticed he was holding until he acknowledged it.

"Thanks." She mumbled, though she didn't feel much like moving let alone changing into different clothes, until Derek stared at her with encouraging eyes which guilted her enough into standing and walking to the bathroom across the room.

-x-

Everything was fuzzy and dark, blurry and uncomfortable. Emily felt the sucking feeling of blackness surround her suddenly only to quickly fall into a weird state of vague emptiness. It wasn't dark but it wasn't light. It was confusing, she had never felt like this before. Visions passed her mind quickly, like flashes of lightening deliberately disorientating her, she couldn't focus on just one, only a distant sound. At first it echoed in her mind, then it got louder and louder, she couldn't identify until it felt like it was right in front of her. A gunshot. A loud bullet piercing her otherwise empty ears, it was terrifying and wouldn't go away, she tried to struggle but she felt numb, tired and very weak. Willing herself to emerge from what she assumed to be some twisted nightmare she forced her eyes to open, sure enough a thick, industrial yet warming light filled her vision. It took her a moment to realise where she was, in a hospital bed, with at least two people around her, she could only see dark figures at that point but she felt a hand on her own, she identified it straight away as Alison's – she could recognize it any day.

"Ali?" She mumbled incoherently and as her eye's focused slowly she saw the two black figures look up towards her. After a few quick second's she recognised her parents sitting on her left and Alison sitting to her right, stroking her palm with a finger and thumb.

"Em, it's okay I'm here." Alison quickly said, as though she was trying to stop Emily from losing some sort of control. Which she would've found odd until she remembered how she got into her terrifying sedated state, she vowed to not lose control like that again. Her memory felt patchy, some things she couldn't remember clearly, some she could, it was making the difference between reality and dream almost difficult to tell the difference between. She began questioning what was real in her confused state, the pain that engulfed her body, real. Alison's hand on her own, real. The weird and inconsistent way the dang hospital light flickered, real. But all those things didn't feel real. She felt a sick feeling surround her stomach, her legs were tingling and her shoulder was on fire. Pain killers in her system, real or fake? Real, just not working – apparently. Her mind jumped as she looked over to her parents, no words came out but her eyes shut slightly in confusion. What drugs was she on? Or was she still with Paige and this was all some weird out of body experience that her mind was making up to keep her sane? Until the sound of that gunshot filled her ears again, she jumped slightly and felt Alison's hand stop its stroking motion in concern.

 _No_ , she thought, _this is real_. Eventually she looked over at Alison, the blonde looked tired, she even had a few bruises and some sort of injury at the back of her head – that must have been some sort of injury Paige had given her – which meant that everything she was seeing and feeling _was_ real. There was no way her mind could make up such elaborate detail. That also meant that everything she did remember was real, that included Paige.

"Oh my god." She whispered so quickly both her parents and Alison had to lean in. "Paige…"

"It's okay baby." Alison quickly said, her hand was ready to touch the brunette's sweating face but she quickly moved away, her eyes confused and teary.

"I… want to sleep." She adjusted her arm only to cringe and groan in pain.

"Take it slow Emmy." Wayne whispered as he stood and held her head softly in place, an odd action that oddly worked. Emily sighed and looked back over at Alison, taking her hand she lay slowly back into the bed, being cautious of the pain that lingered in her shoulder.

"What happened? Why am I in hospital?" She didn't feel like talking but after she questioned her parents and Alison she didn't need to speak for another fifteen minutes. It took them all that long to explain to her what had happened, she was sure Cece would have shortened it to two minutes if she weren't busy with other patients.

"Do you remember much of what happened?" Pam asked carefully. Emily nodded but yawned shortly after. "I think it's time you got some rest." She continued when the brunette didn't speak.

"Cece will be around later I'm sure." Alison added and Emily smiled softly in return.

Silence filled the room, Emily tried to ignore the eyes that were unintentionally staring at her as she slowly and uncontrollably fell to sleep, it seems the pain killers were working after all.

-x-

"How's she doing?" Cece asked with a yawn the next day, a well-deserved coffee in her hand and an un-opened energy drink in the other.

"Well you know with the whole ruptured appendix and the shattered collar bone pins, not to mention the whole Paige shooting herself in front of her. She's about as good as you can imagine." Alison yawned too as Cece handed her the energy drink. "Thanks." She said gratefully, she had almost forgotten that she had asked the blonde to get her the beverage, but now that she had it she didn't feel much like drinking it. Looking back into the room she felt her lip twitch unhappily as Emily tossed slightly in her slumber, she hadn't woken since the day before. Pam and Wayne hadn't left her side either, nor had Alison. No one felt like leaving but they also didn't feel like talking. Alison hadn't looked away from Emily much, Derek had brought her the sketch book she had almost forgotten but she hadn't opened it. Pam and Wayne had left with Derek to organise where they were going to stay, Alison had a hunch that they just wanted to give them space but that only made her feel guilty. No one knew what to do or say.

"Has she talked to the police yet?" Cece broke Alison from her destructive train of thought.

"No, Derek said it was fairly sorted for now. Just because it was a… well just because Paige… you know."

"Emily didn't shoot her so there's no charges that needs to be filed. Got it."

"Right." Alison swallowed uncomfortably and decided to open the energy just to fill the silence.

" _Clearly_ she didn't though." Cece yawned once more.

"It's their job I guess." She tried to sound empathetic but she didn't know if she was actually successful or not.

"I'm sorry I wasn't around much yesterday, one of my patients had a major set-back, kind of takes a toll."

"Are you okay?" She asked genuinely and it was the first time she had looked away from her fiancé.

"Me? Ali, am I okay? Come on."

"If anything else, it would be nice to talk about something other than everything that's been going on."

"Well, I can't actually talk about what's happening to them but it's harder when a kid has cancer, that's for sure." They were leaning against the wall, the morning seemed busier in Ward F, Alison couldn't tell if it was because there was more nurses or if it was simply because Alison was paying more attention. Cece was looking up and down the hallway, no doubt waiting for Duncan to come back from checking on Mason, Alison adored that their relationship had bloomed into something more – not that she would ever say that to Duncan but Cece could obviously tell.

"A kid? I don't know how you do this." She murmured, admiration combined with sadness.

"Most of the time the results are worth it."

"Most of the time?" Alison countered cautiously, Cece made eye contact a few moments later to give her a sad twitch of her lip.

"Most of the time." She confirmed and took a large gulp of coffee before looking back into Emily's room. "She needs to talk about what happened."

"What happened to not talking about this?" Alison sort of chuckled before turning and looking at Emily who had now calmed down, she was no longer tossing and turning and her eyes were scrunched up in discomfort.

"It's going to eat at her."

"I know that, but I can't force it either." They fell into silence again but before Alison could even think of what to say next Cece's pager went off.

"Duty calls, hun. I'll be around if you need anything." She gave Alison a tight supportive hug before leaving. The blonde sighed before turning back into the room, being diligent in closing the door she went to lock it subconsciously, only to remember that she wasn't at home but to also be reminded that she _was_ safe. Even if she didn't feel it.

"When can I go home?" Emily asked, her eyes closed and surprising Alison before she even had the chance to sit down.

"When your surgeon thinks you are ready sweetie." She answered softly and the brunette did a quiet sigh before looking out the window. "Are you okay?" She tried cautiously, for a while Emily didn't answer, she just looked out the window as if searching for the right response – however when no response was found she merely shrugged and turned back to Alison.

"Are you okay?" She finally spoke when the silence was almost becoming too much for the blonde that sat quietly in the chair waiting for her brunette to open up.

"Me?" She almost stuttered. "I'm fine." She lied as best she could, though she knew Emily wouldn't believe it there was no way she was going to start talking about her feelings when her fiancé was in a hospital bed, she also knew Emily wouldn't push the matter but mostly because she didn't seem all that mentally there. It worried Alison but she knew now was not the time to be pushing her. Neither of them spoke after that, Emily went back to looking out the window before falling asleep again, Alison watched her silently – going back to the habit of not looking away once, not even when Pam and Wayne had returned. They both could immediately tell that Alison was upset, Pam instinctively gave her a gentle hug around the shoulder before sitting down beside her and Wayne must have spent the rest of the morning pacing – clearly, he was not used to sitting still. Alison couldn't keep track of the time, she just felt like every moment that passed was a moment she could have been doing something to help Emily, she felt useless just sitting there waiting.

"Hey, Alison can I talk to you for a moment?" Derek asked from the door, Alison hadn't even heard it open but she stood without saying a word and walked back outside the room.

"What's up?" She grumbled, showing Derek that she was clearly unhappy with the interruption.

"Please don't get mad, but you're being requested to go back to work." He stood his ground but showed in his tone that he had tried his best to avoid the inevitable.

"When?" She questioned, her voice calm but the inside of her head was on fire with rage.

"Tomorrow." He almost twitched as if waiting for Alison's inner rage to let loose, but it didn't, instead she sighed and rubbed her head – now she knew why Emily always ran her fingers through her hair.

"Really? You couldn't convince them to give me anymore time?"

"I tried." He said apologetically. "Listen, the police are done with your house, and my brother got Av back online. With extra security features and everything."

"A bit late for that, don't you think?" She said rhetorically and Derek bowed his head, obviously afraid that she could still fly off the handle at any moment. "Sorry." She sighed when she realised how much anger she had always taken out on him.

"You're allowed to go home now. Maybe you should consider getting some rest. I'll have Duncan stay here if you want?"

"No, he needs to get some rest too, can you call one Jacob and see if you can watch Emily?"

"I've got him on standby, he said he'll be here whenever you need him." Derek said with a soft smile.

"Good, get him down here and tell Duncan to go home. I know he is with Mason now but he needs rest." Alison leant against the wall and rubbed her sore head, she subconsciously played with the bandage that covered her stitches, she had no idea how make-up was going to deal with that but she honestly couldn't have cared any less.

"I think you should rest Alison, both Pam and Wayne have decided to stay at a hotel for the time being and they said they would stay here with Emily while you're not around."

"I can't just leave her, Derek."

"She will understand." He countered so quickly she would've been surprised if she wasn't so tired. She nodded in defeat before turning back into the room, walking to Emily's side she kissed her forehead and wished it was enough to wake her up. It wasn't. She didn't like the idea of leaving without saying goodbye, especially when Emily really did need her, she just knew there was no way she could argue with Duncan.

"I'll be back later tonight, if she asks where I am." Alison directed at the brunette's parents who were now standing to give her a desperately needed hug.

"I'll tell her." Pam whispered to her as they hugged.

"Thanks." She whimpered in return before giving Wayne a tight hug also. His hug was so warm and comforting she could almost feel her worries sink away, it reminded her of Emily's hugs which only made tears form in her eyes faster. After saying her goodbyes she left the room and wiped away her tears, Derek went into his pocket and pulled out a pair of her sunglasses, gratefully taking them and not bothering to question why he had them Alison put them on and followed him to the car. He had somehow managed to sneak her out of the hospital in broad daylight without a single person seeing her – not including doctors and nurses obviously.

The drive home was slow, very slow, too slow in fact. It was like every mile she drove away from the hospital time got slower, or perhaps it was the guilt that sat in the pit of her stomach that was slowing everything down. She didn't know how going home, to the place where so much drama had happened, and trying to sleep was going to help her. After Derek had dropped her off and organised a time to pick her up and go back to the hospital she slowly walked inside, her eyes suddenly weak and heavy from the weight of the day, sure she had slept but not properly. Throwing the keys on the closest table she walked around the house, it seemed Derek had hired some people to come in and clean it. There was no obvious signs that someone had been in there, not even the police – or a cleaner. It wasn't enough to shake the thought that there actually was someone in there. Walking down the hallway to the bedroom she stopped in the doorway, suddenly feeling very unwelcome in her own home. Looking at the bed that had been clearly stripped of its old sheets and cleaned she knew she wasn't going to be able to sleep in it, this was the last place she had seen Paige, and the state she had seen Emily in was not something she wanted to remember. She didn't even want to think about where Paige had taken her own life, though she could feel her eyes searching subconsciously for some sign of blood or struggle, or _anything_ that really showed signs that someone had been there. She didn't know why she was looking for it, all she knew was she wanted it to stop. Walking back down the hall she sat on the longue and looked up at the television, turning it on to fill the eerie silence she lay down and curled into a tight ball. Tears welled deep in her eyes and her heart was beating at an uncomfortably weird beat, she felt sick and guilty. Her head hurt and her mind was conflicted, she didn't want to leave Emily's side, she didn't want to go to work the next day but she had to do those things. Looking back at how Emily was behaving she sensed that the brunette was mad at her, not that she should have been picking at how the brunette was behaving, considering everything she had been through over the last couple of days Alison knew Emily's behaviour was warranted. Moving her hand into her pocket she pulled out Emily's engagement ring and held it close to her heart, she had meant to give it back to the brunette when she was awake but had completely forgotten, mostly because Emily didn't seem mentally available.  
Somewhere in between all the thinking and crying Alison felt her eyes become too heavy with emotion and exhaustion and suddenly she was asleep.

 _ **Sorry about the lateness, but finally updated. Hope you enjoyed! Leave a review if you have time :)**_

 _ **Thanks guys! Have a good day/night**_

 _ **-Aemstar x**_


	31. Chapter 31

**Hey guys! I felt like adding Mona into this, because she's awesome and I love her character. She won't be a major character but I'm sick of making up new people and yes, she and Ali are actually friends in this. If you don't like it… well tough :P enjoy**

 _ **Chapter Thirty-One**_

"Are you sure you can't come out for a drink, Ali?" Mona asked, she was one of the other cast members from the movie. Her long black hair reached down to her waist when it was out of its usual loose bun, Alison had only ever seen it tied up because that how her character usually had it.

"I can't Mona, sorry." Alison said with a yawn as they walked out of the studio together, they were shortly joined by a few other cast members who were talking amongst themselves but who were all heading to the same place so walking together only made sense. Mona couldn't have looked more disappointed if she tried but she shrugged in defeat.

"Is it because of Alyssa?" She countered quietly, aware that the people around them couldn't help but gossip.

"No, I'm professional enough to be in the same place as her, isn't that kind of obvious?" She chuckled, she felt it was the first time in days she had actually smiled and wasn't acting.

"Yes, yes, the kissing and the love scenes on set are all good proving points but it is different when you're not at work. Even with those scenes under your belt it's still hard having to force small talk, I'd understand if you weren't going because of her."

"No offense to Alyssa but I've got so much on my mind right now, drama with her is the least of my problems." Alison's mind went straight to Emily who was still in a hospital bed and still not talking much, even after five days. Even the news of her being able to go home that day was not enough to send a smile to her face, Alison was beyond worried but didn't know what to do. She just went to work, went straight to the hospital and then went home when it was late, and in the time she spent at the hospital Emily would say maybe three words, 'hey', 'bye', and sometimes if she was lucky 'fine'. Alison wasn't mad, she was just… sad. She missed her Emily but she knew her brunette just needed time, she understood that. That still didn't mean she was going out for drinks after work. She would go straight to the hospital where Emily was waiting, along with Cece who made herself in charge of Emily's discharge. Which reminded Alison to look at her phone for any messages. None. Which was good because that meant Cece was successful.

"Fair enough, you're way more mature than me. If I was you I probably wouldn't even be doing this movie." Mona laughed innocently.

"Perish the thought you were me." Alison said sarcastically and Mona giggled along.

"Yeah, if I was you I'd have that hottie Ms. Fields for a girlfriend."

"God, you are the gayest straight person I know."

"I appreciate all kinds of beauty, thank you very much." Mona said with her usual shrug of the shoulder before stopping in front of Alison's huge black car that she never bothered learning the brand of, mostly because the car changed but also because she couldn't tell the difference. "See you tomorrow then?" She asked kindly, giving up on trying to push her friend on going out for drinks.

"Yes, tomorrow. Have a good night and don't get too drunk."

"Yes Mum, _gosh_." She gave Alison a tight hug before turning around to the other people who were apparently waiting for her. "Bye honey!" She called while raising her hand in the air in a weird sort of wave before linking arms with one of the other cast members and disappearing into the twilight.

"How was your day?" Duncan greeted her with a warm smile, it was contagious and very encouraging.

"Long, slow. How is she doing today?" She asked hopefully, curious that his smile might have been some sign of Emily improving.

"The same." He mumbled and his smile disappeared, aware that he may have been misleading. "But let's go get her, maybe she'll feel better at home."

"I hope so." She answered lightly, she wasn't so sure of a change in Emily's condition – at least not in a positive way – when they would get home, not after everything that had happened but she couldn't just move again. It was unrealistic, not impossible but enough to make work and the hospital bills enough stress. She was jittery on the drive to the hospital, the combination of excitement and terror sat in her stomach causing a weird cocktail of feelings, Duncan seemed just as nervous – though he would never admit that.

By the time they had arrived at the hospital Emily was ready to go, she was dressed and her arm was in a sling, though it had been in a sling since she'd been in hospital she hadn't actually seen the brunette standing with it on. The surgery to replace the broken pins was a success, but with the torn muscle and still somehow shattered bone that had joined in on the injury set Emily's recovery further back. Alison had sort of assumed that was why the brunette was so mentally out of it, she had been in and out of two different surgeries in less than a week, the anesthetic alone was enough to send someone loopy. Walking into what was soon to be Emily's old room Alison couldn't help the smile that fell across her lips every time she looked at the brunette. She was so beautiful.

"Hey gorgeous." She said as she moved closer to the brunette, trying her luck to get a kiss, only to be shut down when Emily turned her cheek. Alison didn't take offense though, this had been quite common behaviour over the week and it could have been for any number of reasons. She just took 'her parents are in the room' option as it didn't hurt her feelings as much. "Ready to go home?" She questioned happily and Emily smiled – genuinely – and the hurt for not getting a kiss was gone.

"Yeah, I am." Alison felt her smile grow and she gathered enough courage to reach for Emily's hand, which she took and it sent a million little fireworks up her finger tips and all the way through her arm.

"I have the guest room prepped and ready for you two when you arrive as well." Alison directed at Pam and Wayne who were waiting by the door.

"Thank you, Alison, dear, we will go to our hotel to pack and then we'll be right over. Are you guys okay to get to the car?" Pam said as her arm linked around Wayne's waist and her head rested on his shoulder contently.

"Yes, it will be easier for Duncan if there's less of us." They didn't need much convincing to be the first to leave, though Alison had not been at the hospital for even a major percentage of the day media seemed to be crawling it. It was all taken very professionally though. No one ever made it in. She was happy about that, at least. After they gave Emily a tight hug and a kiss they left and moments later Duncan was at their side with Cece.

"You good to go kiddo?" She said with a smile and Emily nodded. "Excellent. Come on and take it slow." The blonde ordered as she picked up the brunette's duffle bag and handed it to Duncan. Emily clutched to Alison's hand for support, walking hadn't been something she had done much in the time she was in hospital and with all the painkillers she could barely stay focused enough to figure out which foot was which. As she limped down the hallway she felt Alison's arm occasionally touch her own, it was warm and comforting but not enough for her to fell over whelmed when she thought she saw cameras flash.

"It's okay they can't get passed the desk, I don't even know how they found out about you leaving today." Duncan muttered, to himself more than anyone else.

"It's a hospital babe, word gets around." Cece rubbed his back as he guided them down a separate hallway. They were in the car five minutes later and Emily was already exhausted and within ten minutes of the car ride she was asleep again. She heard everyone talking, forcing small talk – until Alison started talking about work and then small talk moved onto genuine conversation. Somewhere between her tired eyes and the blackness of sleep they arrived home, she felt someone shake her shoulder gently and she opened her eyes in a confused daze – not realizing how much time had passed.

"We're home baby." The blonde said sweetly as she helped Emily out of her seat belt, being careful not to over extend her arm that was protected in a sling.

The next two minutes consisted of Emily slowly getting out of the car, Duncan was being careful not to interfere as he was more worried about offending the brunette by being overly helpful. Cece had already made her way into the kitchen and was pulling out several small bottles of prescription pills from Emily's duffle bag when everyone else had made it inside.

"Time for some rest, I'll organise some dinner and bring it to you when it's ready." Alison said as she guided Emily down the hallway. Following without speaking Emily was still clutching to her hand, though she didn't know if it was for physical or mental support. Alison opened their bedroom door and Emily immediately stopped, her body subconsciously flinching and retreating from the idea of sleeping anywhere near that room. She leant backwards and Alison turned to her with cautious eyes.

"Are you okay?" She questioned carefully but when Emily didn't reply and fear flashed across her eyes it was enough to make Alison pull her backwards. "Hey, it's okay." She grabbed Emily's hands and tried to bring her lost eyes back to her but it seemed useless.

To Emily all she saw was a dark room, even with the light on. She saw flashes of the past skit before her, it was like her mind was jumping between two different realities, except she couldn't tell which was which. Closing her eyes tight she stepped backwards into the hallway while shaking her head, Alison immediately shut the door when the brunette pulled her hand away and used the wall for support.

"Hey," The blonde was quick to her side, holding her cheeks tight in her hands as a subconscious reaction, "It's okay." She whispered but Emily moved out of her hold and limped down the hall. Following, Alison watched as Emily sat on the lounge, though it was expensive and somewhat comfortable she knew a bed should have been where the brunette was sleeping. Not that she could talk, she hadn't slept in their bed either, not once the entire week and that was why she wasn't at all surprised by Emily's reaction. "Here." She said softly as she helped Emily lie down, she had almost expected the brunette to reject her help but as she pulled the covers she had been using the previous nights over Emily all the worries disappeared. Emily's rejection, though it may hurt, was something she had to not take personally for the time being.

"I'll be in the kitchen if you need me." She offered before straightening up and turning to leave only to be stopped by the tight grip of Emily's hand around her own.

"Can you wait until… I'm asleep?" It was Emily's plea, a way of saying 'please don't leave me' without putting forward the indication that she was reliant on Alison – again something that Alison couldn't take personally.

"Okay." She nodded and sat on the floor in front of the lounge. She heard the brunette lie on her uninjured side facing away from her. After a few moments of silence, she was about to turn around to see if Emily was asleep when she suddenly spoke.

"Why doesn't Av speak anymore?"

"Derek had her Artificial Intelligence turned off until we returned. I'll turn her back on later." She didn't end up turning around, she merely looked straight ahead at the black screen of the television.

"Can you still play music?" Emily mumbled shortly after.

"Yeah, sure." Alison pulled out her phone and connected it to the Bluetooth stereo, music shortly followed – bringing a comforting ambiance to the room. Alison didn't know how much time had passed, she just played on her phone and occasionally looked behind her, soon Emily was asleep but she still didn't want to leave her. Cece entered the room as the blonde pondered whether she would leave, she had one arm full of the prescriptions and the other had a bottle of water. She went to speak but quickly shut her when she saw that Emily was asleep, she instead moved towards Alison and placed everything on the coffee table in front of her.

"I'll be back in a sec." She whispered and quickly departed back into the kitchen, returning moments later with two coffee mugs. Alison could see the steam rising from whatever liquid Cece had put inside and her mouth subconsciously watered, she had been craving a coffee but didn't know it until the warm scent hit her nostrils. "Duncan is going to the study, he said he'd wait for you parents to buzz the gate and then he would leave after that."

"He's been really good." Alison murmured with a nod and she took a large sip of her coffee before leaning back, being careful not to disturb Emily. "He definitely needs a break."

"He doesn't like leaving you alone, you know, especially with Mason out of action."

"I know. But it is a lot safer now. Derek will be hovering as well." Emily groaned slightly in her sleep, making both Alison and Cece turn towards her, the fell silent after that, when the silence became too much however and Alison decided that the music wasn't enough to preoccupy her mind she turned it off and replaced it with the television, giving Cece the remote to choose because she didn't really care what they were going to watch – as long as it was distracting.

She hadn't kept track of time, she hadn't even really watched the television, mostly because Cece had chosen some reality show – that was never her kind of entertainment. A knock at the door interrupted her thought process – or lack there of – Duncan was answering it before she had even registered fully there was someone there. Wayne and Pam entered, quietly and Duncan showed them to the guest room, Alison remained behind as she didn't want to leave Emily's side – even if she was sleeping – Cece was kind enough to pass on the information. Alison sighed the moment she was alone, she was exhausted, work was exhausting, emotionally and mentally. Though she would never verbally announce that to anyone, except maybe Emily if the situation was different, except the situation was part of the exhaustion, there would be no way she could ever talk to Emily about it because the brunette would be feeling way worse than she ever could imagine. Her silence for most of the week was enough example.

The television went to an ad break and a news broadcast went on, the moment she heard her name she changed the channel, she wasn't in the mood and she could already tell it was about everything that had happened. Derek had told her the media got pictures and videos of the police outside her house, she knew there was no way around that. She just had to mentally prepare herself for questions in the future, for example interviews for the movie release, several network stations wanted to interview her and Alyssa – another issue surrounding her already crowded life.

-x-

Knives and forks dinged against almost empty dinner plates, Cece had been making no stop conversation with Wayne and Pam for most of dinner, Alison chimed in occasionally but never managed to contribute by more than a few words. She was too busy watching Emily forcing herself to try and eat, her tired eyes were showing attempt but also struggle but every time the brunette would look over at Alison they would both avert their gaze elsewhere. Alison wanted to talk to her but she didn't know where to start, she didn't know what to do or say, all she knew was she wanted to try.

By the time everyone else had finished eating Emily had made it through less than half, she apologized to her mother who had cooked and, for obvious reasons, she wasn't at all offended.

"It's normal to not be hungry." Cece said as she rubbed Emily's shoulder caringly and the brunette nodded in return before adjusting her slinged arm and standing.

"Do you need help cleaning up?" She offered softly as she reached for her dinner plate.

"No sweetie, it's okay. We can do it." Pam said as she stopped the brunette from picking up the plate and again she nodded.

"I'm going to have a shower."

"Do you need help?" Alison offered, not thinking about the question before it was already out of her mouth, though thankfully no one seemed to take it inappropriately – even if they had though it was clear her intentions were good.

"I'll be fine." She tried to smile genuinely but she didn't know if it was believable.

The moment she was in the bathroom however Emily was somewhat wishing she had said yes, taking off her sling and then undressing herself was a considerable challenge, when she was at the hospital a nurse had helped her, or Alison if she wasn't working – she was significantly more comfortable with Alison though so she didn't fully understand why she had said no in the first place.

Sitting on the edge of the bath she let out a long sigh and rubbed her shoulder, the stitches were poking at the soft fabric of the bandage surrounding the base of her neck and collarbone. She thought it would be less painful by now but it still ached, perhaps this time was a little different because they were repairing an injuring and pins. She tried not to think about it as she slugged her uninjured arm out of her shirt while leaving the other awkwardly in as she mentally prepared herself to take it out. She wanted to do it like a band-aid – ripe it off and be done with it but unfortunately that wouldn't work in this case. As she slowly put her hand on the hem of her shirt a knock on the door stopped her and she sighed in anticipation.

"Yeah?" She called, thinking it was her mother who in no doubt would probably have some motivational speech ready for this encounter. The door opened slowly and a lock of Alison's hair fell first through the gap, Emily hadn't noticed before but the blonde's hair was almost back to normal, it had kind of amused her the way her hair grew, short wasn't something Alison would ever wear again that was for sure, it was all fuzzy and hard to maintain – free and chaotic, a little like her really.

"I know I shouldn't be pushing so much but… are you sure you don't need help?" Alison was cautious and almost scared to actually enter the room but when she saw Emily with one arm out of her shirt and the other obviously struggling she didn't hesitate to walk in and shut the door behind her.

"I could do with some help." Emily stated quietly. Alison smiled and walked towards her, bending down in front of the brunette who had somehow already managed to take her slacks off she was careful to not over step any boundaries Emily may have created over the last week. She was being so careful with her hands she wasn't even sure how she had managed to take the brunette's top off without touching her.

"Do you hate me?" Emily asked suddenly and Alison could have sworn she could have gotten severe whip lash as her head flicked up so quickly.

"What? No baby, why would I hate you?"

"Just… with all the baggage with… you know. I just… I don't know." She hadn't said Paige's name since everything that had happened, not even when she talked to the police briefly but Alison didn't really expect any less.

"Em, I… I could never hate you." She said quietly and she bravely took the blonde's shaking hand in her own, she wasn't rejected finally and it had taken her a week to get to this point. She held onto the brunette's hand as if it was the last thing she was going to touch, moving over her fingers slowly she took in each detail – including the detail in which Emily was still not wearing her engagement ring – Emily noticed Alison's eyes linger. "I feel naked without it, you know." She whispered sweetly.

"Do you want it back?" Alison asked, looking back down shyly as if the answer would hurt her.  
"Yeah, I do." She wanted to laugh at the scenario, she was sitting in their bathroom in just her bra and underwear, thinking about how exposed she was she grabbed the closest towel and wrapped it around her shoulders as Alison reached into her jacket pocket.

"I kept meaning to give it back, I was waiting for the right time."

"We haven't been doing well on timing, have we?" She smiled as she lowered her head to press against Alison's.

"No, but…" She paused as she dug deep into her pocket and searched for the ring. "Timing has never really been our thing." She continued in triumph when she felt the cool touch of gold at her finger tips, pulling out happily.

"You've got it with you?" Emily asked in surprise.

"It never left my side unless I was working." She took Emily's hand, again, carefully. Being gentle she placed the ring on her cold finger and then sealed it with a delicate kiss. "Much better."

"Thank you." Emily whispered and Alison stood up, she wanted to try her luck for a kiss on the lips but resisted the urge. The next ten minutes consisted of helping Emily in and out of the shower, they were both relatively quick which neither seemed to object too. At first Alison was nervous to even touch her, still, as she slowly unhooked the brunette's bra she had to resist the urge to look and to touch. Emily was beautiful – beyond beautiful – and completely irresistible but she did her best.

"Cece decided she's going to try and convince you to sleep in a bed. You don't have too." Alison said after Emily was finally dressed and her sling was back on her arm. "But just be prepared for it."

"I'll sleep in the bed." Emily said, her eyes elsewhere but her heart always in the right place.

"Are you sure?" She questioned cautiously, being aware that pushing Emily too far could set them back.

"I'm too tired to argue with her, and as comfortable as that lounge is, I need something more supportive." Alison nodded and bravely outstretched her hand in hopes Emily would take it, though she wasn't too badly injured she would still feel the occasional twitch of pain in her appendix wound and since the tubing that was ridding of the remaining infection was still inside her, pain was going to linger. Taking her hand Emily stood slowly and they made their way out of the bathroom. "I'm fine from here. Can you tell my parents goodnight for me?" She stopped them in the hallway at the door to their bedroom, hovering her hand over the door knob after letting Alison's go as if mentally preparing herself for something unexpected on the other side.

"Are you sure?" Alison didn't know what she was asking in regards too but Emily nodded anyway, opening the door she took a deep breath and walked in.

"I'll be fine. Just… don't take too long, please?" She hesitated slightly but forced a smile.

"I won't. I'll be in soon." Emily watched as Alison turned down the hallway, she picked up on her need to be alone for a moment and left.

"Is she okay?" Pam asked when Alison entered the living room, everyone was sitting down quietly, pretending to watch the television.

"She's as okay as one can be in the given situation. She's gone to bed." Alison said as she took the glass of wine Cece was handing her. "Thanks."

"Wait, she's in your bedroom?" Cece asked, surprise clear in her tone.

"She said she was too tired to argue with you about sleeping in a bed."

"I feel like she's doing that to avoid conflict." Pam countered and Wayne took her hand supportively.

"I feel like she's doing it to avoid _talking_." The blonde murmured as she drank more than half of her glass in two gulps.

"I think it's time for bed." Pam said with an exhausted huff and she stood, Cece also stood and said her goodnights, her bedroom was at the other end of the house while Pam and Wayne's resided next door to hers.

"I'll catch up." Wayne said with his deep husky voice and Pam nodded before walking away with Cece, they began talking about Emily instantly. Alison looked at Wayne curiously, her eyebrows were slightly raised in curiosity but she didn't question him, she figured he would make his intentions clear the moment Cece and Pam were gone. "You okay kiddo?" He asked, his arms subconsciously moving across his chest.

"I'm breathing." Alison responded in a sort of confused haze.

"I suppose that is always good. Look, with everything that's been going on I'm surprised you even have time for that. Emily hasn't told us a lot about you, but she said enough for me to say yes when you asked me for her hand. I was away a lot, I still am, and it will be that way for a long time. But I didn't stand up for her when she was with Paige, I let that toxic relationship continue when I knew it was going to end, badly." He took a deep breath and took the glass of wine from Alison, placing it on the coffee table he rubbed his chin in a subconscious way before looking back to her. "You give her this strength I've never seen, you got her to stop a bad habit that could have killed her." He looked down at the wine glass again. "You went through so much the last year, I can't even begin to imagine but when I go back to my base in Texas I won't be here for her."

"I meant what I said, when I asked you if I could marry her. I will never love someone as much as I love her."

"I know she knows that but… don't forget to take care of yourself." Wayne said with a genuine smile.

"I won't forget." She didn't mean to lie but she didn't want Wayne to worry either.

"Alright well, I don't know about you but I think it's time for bed. Night kiddo." He placed his hand caringly on her shoulder, tapping it comfortingly before disappearing down the hall. Alison felt a subconsciously exhausted sigh fall from her lips before she turned, she had done so much sighing she was almost sure she had made some sort of personal record.

She wasn't sure why, but she knocked on the bedroom door before entering. Emily was sitting up against the frame as if waiting for her, when she entered they made eye contact but Emily looked as though she was miles away.

"You didn't have to wait for me." The blonde said quietly as she began undressing, the thought of having a shower only exhausted her more, she would do that tomorrow before work. The very idea of work in her mind made her nauseous, she didn't want to leave Emily but she was thankful her parents were there.

"It's fine." Emily stated, her eyes briefly glazing over Alison's body as she dressed, her heart beating slightly only for her mind to race to other unwelcomed places. Lying down she tried to block out all the noise in her head, curling up on her uninjured side into a tight ball facing away from Alison seemed to be the only comfortable position. As Alison dressed she observed Emily, she was gone again, the wall that she had fought all week to push passed was back up again and it felt like there was nothing she could do to get it back down again. Switching off the light she slowly got into bed and lay on her back, she didn't want to let it happen but her thoughts went straight to the conversation with Wayne.

"Are you afraid I'm going to leave you again?" She asked so suddenly she wasn't even sure she was the one that had asked. There was a moment of silence in which she guessed Emily turned her head in surprise before she heard her lie on her back too.

"No, why would you think that?"

"Your dad and I had a talk. He didn't say that or anything but I feel like maybe they're worried I will leave, because… well they don't know the full story. Which I know is my fault not yours. But still."

"I know the full story." Emily said quietly and to Alison it would normally be enough, but to see such concern in Emily's father's eyes, was enough to make the blonde question herself.

"I know." She rubbed her head and looked over to the brunette who was resting her arm on top of a pillow. The room was dark, but Alison's eyes quickly adjusted and she could see Emily staring into the darkness blankly, she wanted some indication that the brunette was still there mentally with her, but she knew she wasn't. "Are you okay?" She felt like it was a stupid question but she didn't know what else to say, and she wasn't okay with the silence just yet because she wasn't ready to go to sleep. This was the first night Emily was home, the first time they had both been in the bed since everything had happened, they _needed_ to talk or at least communicate, somehow.

"I'm okay." She whispered in return and a few moments later Alison felt the brunette's free hand search for her own in the dark. Squeezing softly, she let out a small weep and rolled over to face the blonde, the images of the past flashing across her eyes but she only wanted to see one thing, and it was too dark to see her.

"I'm here." Alison replied quickly and she rolled over to face her. "Everything's okay." Before Alison could even think about holding Emily's cheeks tenderly she felt the brunette somehow skillfully manage to push her on her bag and hover above her. The brunette pressed their lips together, eagerly and desperately as if trying to prove something and Alison could feel it, she felt Emily's arm struggle and instinctively tried to pull away only to be pushed further into the bed in a soft dominance. Emily kissed her passionately and it was hard not to get caught up in it, she had been aching for the contact all week and now that it was happening she knew it couldn't happen that easily.

"Woah, slow down, killer." She whispered a moan before taking Emily's cheeks in her hands, being stern but soft, it caught the puffing brunette above her attention. "You can't do this to your collarbone baby, it's too much." She tried pushing Emily back but she was held in place by the brunette's strong legs.

"I need this." Emily pleaded a few seconds later and Alison paused, there was no way she could say no to Emily but she didn't know if this was the healthy option. "Please." She whispered and her injured arm moved from its subconscious position across her chest to allow her hand to caress the skin underneath Alison's shirt, distracting her, while her uninjured arm supported her weight, the brunette definitely hadn't lost any strength over the last week – that was for sure.

"We should talk." Alison whispered quietly, afraid that her response was going to upset Emily.

"I don't want to talk."

"What are you trying to do Em? What are you trying to prove?" She asked boldly and Emily sat up slightly in surprise.

"I'm not trying to prove anything." The brunette replied defensively and she sat further up before slowly moving back to her side of the bed.

"Yes, you are." Alison challenged as she also sat up and turned on the bedside lamp. "Talk to me Em, I hate this silence."

"I don't want to talk." Emily exclaimed as she fell back into the bed and tried to pull the covers above her shoulders but was quickly stopped by Alison, her hands were careful but strong.

"Don't shut me out, please." She watched as Emily's eyes searched for some sort of escape but when nothing rational came to mind tears began to swell and she let out a soft cry.

"I just want to feel in control, is that so much to ask?" Her lip trembled as she tried her best to hold back her cries but as soon as Alison's gaze soften and she took her cheeks in her hands, she crumbled. The weight of all her feelings finally breaking through her wall and she had no choice but to feel every single one.

"It's not baby, I just need you to talk to me. I can't let you get lost in your thoughts." She pulled Emily into a tight embrace and held her close, kissing her forehead gently.

"I couldn't save her, Ali." The brunette whispered and she clutched to Alison's bed shirt as if it was the last thing she would ever feel. "I could save Eric," She sniffed back her tears. "But I couldn't stop Paige."

"You were sick baby, I know you wanted to save her. She knows too, I'm sure." Alison stroked Emily's hair slowly, she didn't know if she believed what she said but she knew it was what Emily needed to hear.

"I tried to move but I couldn't." She cried into Alison's chest and let her fingers slowly play with the available skin.

"We can't save everyone, sweetie." The blonde murmured and guided Emily's head upwards to face her. "Sometimes, people are just ready to go and we can't stop that." Though it would've come across as a tad insensitive what Alison said was surprisingly comforting and Emily could feel her heart that had been racing with guilt for what felt like the entire week finally slow to a steady rhythm. She let her tears subside and the wiped the remainder away before looking up at Alison, the blonde was watching her carefully, analyzing, waiting. Without a command Emily reached up and kissed her lightly.

"Thank you." She said as she snuggled into the blonde's warm embrace.

"Always." It sounded like a promise, and Emily looked up to question her only to get lost in the blonde's perfect blue eyes. It was like looking up at the sky from the bottom of the pool on a warm summers day, refreshing and mesmerizing all in one. Perfect, was the only way she could describe it.

"Always." She replied and kissed the blonde again.

"So." Alison began when Emily broke away, her hands staying on her chest. "You want some control?"

"I just don't want to feel weak."

"You're not weak." Alison insisted, her free hand moving to Emily's that were innocently playing with the skin of her exposed chest.

"I feel it." The brunette countered and she slowly nuzzled into the warmth of Alison's neck.

"You don't have too." Alison whispered as she stroked Emily's hair softly. "I can help."

"How?" The blonde felt Emily lift her head away curiously and she looked down at her with a smile.

"How do you think?" Though at first it may have sounded as a serious question it was more of challenge, Emily giggled quietly and it was music to Alison's ears, she had never heard something so beautiful, it was like she had gone years without hearing Emily laugh.

"I have an idea." She tried to sit up only to cringe in pain. "Maybe… not."

"Be creative baby." Alison whispered and her hands went from the brunette's cheeks down to her waist, slowly she moved her hand underneath her shirt and pulled her in for a sweet kiss. "I'm going to be on top _but_ ," She emphasized when Emily went to question her. "I won't be in charge this time. Trust me."

"But… you'll be on top."

"You have more power than you think." She kissed Emily slowly and waited for her to deepen it, which didn't take anywhere near as long as she thought and the moment Emily's hands wrapped around her neck she realised how much she had been aching for her touch. It made her moan and shutter in unison, giving Emily the opportunity to slip her tongue into her mouth, allowing her time to be playful and naturally sexy.

"I've missed you." She whimpered uncontrollably as she clutched to Emily's waist and then the atmosphere drastically. The unspoken words of the last week was rushing around them, surrounding them as a confusingly alluring sensation, confusing only because Emily had been so tired and shut off from the world that being pulled back to reality so suddenly was almost disorientating.

Hearing Alison speak so honestly was illuminating, it cleared her mind of her worries, though she wasn't over what had happened she was slowly letting go and she knew being there in the moment with the blonde was going to help in some way. Finding the confidence within Alison slowly moved them so she was straddling the brunette, they were puffing as the pulled apart, Alison had that seductive smirk stretched across her lips and it made Emily's heart skip a beat. She was intrigued how the blonde was possibly going to make such a position a submissive one however.

"Now what?" She asked with a slight shake in her voice while her uninjured arm stretched out to touch the blonde's thigh, smoothing over the skin slowly.

"What do you think?" Alison asked with a wink and she slowly lowered herself down to kiss Emily and it was perfect. Answering the question with her hand instead of her words Emily began her way up the blonde's thigh towards her waist and then up and underneath her shirt.

"Help me." She whispered through their kissing and Alison obeyed with a nod. Sitting up she did most of the work as Emily was using her non-dominant hand, which is why the brunette was so confused as to how she was possibly going to be dominant in anyway – especially with the blonde on top of her. She could barely be dominant when the situations were reversed.

"Stop over thinking, just go with the flow." Alison whispered as she lay back down with her bare chest against Emily's bed shirt, she felt warmth spread through her as the brunette's hand began moving up her back. They kissed again, for a long time, doing nothing more than just playful making out and touching, as time passed and they grew more heated Alison felt Emily's hand begin its adventure between them down her stomach and towards her shorts. Sitting up to give the brunette more access she watched and enjoyed as Emily unknowingly took control of her with the power of only one hand – one hand was all Alison ever needed, even a look from the brunette made her knee's wobble. If only she knew that.

"What are you thinking?" Emily puffed in anticipation as her hand paused on their grasp of Alison's silky shorts.

"I'm thinking about how beautiful you are." Alison replied and Emily's hand moved from the hem of her shorts back to her thigh, the loose fabric would have been easy enough to take off but neither were willing to lose contact with each other. Confidentially, but unsure of where it had come from, Emily moved the fabric deliberately slow up Alison's thigh causing a delicious friction, making her moan in an obstreperous kind of way.

"You have to be quiet." Emily commanded quietly and Alison's eyes glistened as though it was a challenge but she didn't move, she only placed her index finger over her lips and hushed before placing her hands back to Emily's waist.

Moments passed, Emily was thinking, searching for an idea, some sort of indicator that what she was doing was what Alison was hinting at, when her finger tips found the lacy edge of the blonde's underwear and her bright blue eyes soften in pleasure she knew she was doing something right. Without further thought she slipped her index finger passed the lacy barrier and was welcomed with a wet warmth, she wanted to moan just at the sensation but held it in, it seemed Alison was fighting the same urge. Emily smirked and felt a wave of control fill her, though she didn't expect it to happen this way she was happy none the less. Alison held back her moans as Emily rubbed against her, it was pure ecstasy feeling the brunette touch her the way she did, the blonde watched as slowly freedom replaced fear in Emily's eyes, they were soft and full of life now, no longer troubled by pain and confusion but instead the control she was feeling was filling her with a sense of prosperity. Moaning as her body twitched in pleasure she could no longer focus on how to give Emily control, mostly because the brunette now had it but also because she was distracted, she hadn't known how long Emily was touching her but she knew she had built up enough stress over the last week to require a release. Emily's hand skillfully worked its magic against her wet center as she slowly moved against her, building a greater wall of pleasure, she wanted Emily's other hand to touch her but it was staying securely across her own chest subconsciously, so to fill the need Alison brought her hands upward and rubbed her breasts. Emily's eyes widen in excitement and her pace quickened, both were puffing but Alison would occasionally bite her lip to suppress a louder moan, it was driving them both crazy.

"I'm going to…" She puffed slowly and Emily's eye twinkled with power before she slowed her pace, almost stopping which made Alison's eyes shoot open in disappointment. "Why did you stop?"

"I want you closer." Emily whispered and the blonde didn't hesitate in closing the distance. "That's better." The brunette sighed contently before continuing her movements, Alison moan in reply and let her own hands clutch to the beautiful woman below her, kissing her neck and taking deep breaths in between while feeling the familiar build up deep within her. Every nerve in her body was tingling as her hips moved up and down in rhythm with Emily, the air around them was on fire and the more the brunette moved the more Alison felt filled until, with one final push, she came undone above her. She was silenced by a passionate kiss before she could let out a grateful moan – before she could cry out Emily's name and wake the whole house.

"You are beyond perfect." Emily said with another kiss and Alison melted away into it, she definitely felt perfect in that moment. "Thank you."

"Anything I can do to help baby." Alison replied with an exhausted huff and she felt her eyes slowly close in sleep, her head pressed against Emily's chest and her heart beat playing a comforting song against her ear.

-x-

"Whatever you did, worked." Cece murmured as she handed Alison a glass of wine, Emily had excused herself from dinner the following day to prepare herself for bed.

"I didn't do anything." The blonde shrugged and stood from the kitchen table, she was beyond tired from her day at work and didn't feel like going into detail about her sexual adventures with Emily, mostly because her parents were sitting at the table with them however.

"Right, well," Pam began when she saw Cece wiggle her eyebrows curiously. "I'm off to pack our bags. Honey, would you like to join?" She directed at Wayne who was only half way through his beer, he looked at her curiously and then, as though a timer pinged in his head, he caught her hint and followed.

"You do realise they are her parents, and I am trying to impress them, they don't want to hear sexual _innuendo_ , let alone details."

"Sorry, they're so quiet I forget their here." Cece shrugged defensively.

"Well they're going back to Texas tomorrow, so you can return to your normal inappropriate self then."

"I guess I can hold out until then."

"Oh, thank goodness." She chimed with a laugh.

"Your sarcasm never ceases to amaze me." Alison laughed along, Cece nodded her head upwards slightly, indicating that she should turn around. When she did she was met with a snickering Emily.

"Can I talk to you about something?" The brunette asked shyly and her eyes darted not subtly towards Cece who put her hands in the air in defeat before excusing herself and leaving.

"What's up beautiful?" Alison asked as she sat back down and Emily joined her.

"I got a call back from that job I applied for today while you were at work."

"Really? And?" Alison asked with excitement.

"Well, they offered me the job."

"That's amazing baby! Congratulations!" Alison said with a soft squeal and took Emily's free hand.

"But," The brunette paused and looked down slowly. "I haven't taken it yet." There was a silence, not awkward but nor was it particularly pleasant, mostly because Alison sensed Emily had an explanation she was trying to word in her head before vocalizing it. "I told them I'd let them know tomorrow."

"So, what's making you question it?" The blonde questioned supportively.

"They said the job I applied for was originally a computer based job they were trying to transition into an office job."

"Okay, what does that mean?"

"Well, it was mostly a job that didn't have to be done at the office, the previous person did their work outside the office, that's what I'm guessing anyway. I think they might have had issues with the work load not being complete so they wanted to make it somewhere the person could be supervised."

"I'm sensing a 'but'?" Alison said with a smile and Emily nodded.

"But, they had called my old boss, you know to do the whole reference calling and what not, and apparently, he had a lot of good things to say so they think I can manage on my own, after my training and everything of course."

"Really? That's really good sweetie. So why haven't you taken it yet?"

"I guess I was kind of thinking, I'd be at home a lot and you'd be working, which I don't mind obviously, but I don't know, I guess I was worried you wouldn't like it, I'm not entirely sure why."

"Baby, I think it's great, whatever you want to do I'll support. Sometimes I wish I could take an at home job."

"I mean I'd have to go into the office occasionally, but mostly I can do video calls and internet chats with everyone. As long as Mr. O'Donnell gets his paper work, he's happy. At least that's what he told me on the phone." She paused and looked at the ring on her engagement finger that Alison was mindlessly playing with. "Do you think it's because… I'm dating you?"

"Would it bother you if that was the case?"

"I don't know, I don't think it is the case but I don't want to be treated differently."

"Sometimes baby, you won't be able to help it but in this case, I honestly think that the office isn't big enough for a huge staff and the less people there the better, everyone can get their work done and there's no distractions. I think they think you will be good at this job and they're willing to give you the opportunity to work at home, maybe they're thinking it will help you too. You're good at what you do Em, I would do what it takes to get you to work for me. I mean, if I needed a kick ass legal accountant." Emily was silent for a short moment as she thought over what Alison had said, it made sense and it was rational, exactly what she was looking for.

"I'm going to take it." She announced and Alison smiled before kissing her hand softly.

"I'm so proud of you." The blonde whispered against the skin of Emily's hand, looking up when she felt the brunette's leg graze her own under the table.

"With that, I have something else I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh? What's that?" Alison questioned curiously while their legs playing some sort of silent war game.

"Here's the thing, we're engaged, right?" The brunette began and Alison laughed as she looked down at the engagement ring she had brought for her fiancé.

"Last time I checked, yes."

"Well, I was thinking before we start making decisions on a date for the wedding, that we actually, you know, go on one."

"A date?" Alison asked, as though the question had thrown her off slightly.

"Yes, I mean, we've never been on one."

"I guess we haven't, have we." The blonde continued, her eyes gazing off into the distance as if trying to think of a moment that could be considered a date – none came to mind. "What did you have in mind for this date?"

"You leave that to me." Emily said proudly before standing, leaning down she kissed Alison's forehead and giggled. "I'm going to spend some time with my parents, since they do go home tomorrow."

"I'm not going to let you sidetrack that easily." Alison laughed and stood, grabbing Emily's free arm and in turn stopping her from retreating. "I love mysterious, don't get me wrong. But-"

"No 'buts' Miss DiLaurentis," Emily interrupted. "You can't always be in control, remember?" She winked before turning elegantly on her heel and disappeared around the corner, leaving Alison in a flustered mess.

 **Hey, my lovely readers I hope you liked this chapter – not as long as the others but still hopefully satisfying. I've taken a looooot of notes and have invested some time into putting them into the story!**

 **A guest wrote a review not too long ago with some… I guess "negative" feedback, or notes, I don't really know how to label it. I would go on some huge rant about how 'meh' it made me feel but instead I just ask the person to comment with an account so I can PM them and ask for pointers.**

 **I would just like to point out to everyone that, this (fanfiction writing) as much as I love it, is not my job. I don't get paid to do it, and in turn that means it won't be perfect. I'm not going to apologise for this. I have a life outside this story – a family, a job, study. I've got to juggle all that and then find time for writing. That's why my updates aren't consistent, that's why there will be grammatically errors.**

 **I just hope there are enough people out there that are enjoying it!**

 **I always get beautiful reviews and I'm super thankful :) I guess it only takes one negative to make it harder to update, but anyway! Thanks to the people who take time out of their day to leave a review –** _ **trust me it makes a huge difference**_ **!**

 **Have a good day/night guys!**

 **-Aemstar**


	32. Chapter 32

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**_ _**Hey guys, just a quick note, I'm sorry it's been a while I've recently had a surgery and it knocked me around a bit so it was hard to write, I initially thought I would have all the time in the world to do fanfic because I wasn't working or studying but… yeah nahhh didn't happen. This chapter is going to be done in 'two parts' I guess, mostly because I really wanted to update before I have another surgery this week. I'll do my best to update yeah? I've been loving all your feedback/ reviews and notes! Thanks for the love and messages – you guys are great! Seriously!**_

 _ **I hope you enjoy the chapter.**_

 **Chapter Thirty-Two**

The night was cold, colder than the normal Los Angeles weather would usually be, the outside gale of wind made Alison retreat further into Emily warm side as they slept. Well as Emily slept, Alison had been woken by the brunette groaning, at first, she thought it was in pain – guessing that maybe her shoulder was causing some sort of grief but when she leant up curiously she noticed that Emily's arm was still sitting comfortable across her chest and the brunette seemed to be upset by some other unknown force.

"Em?" She whispered quietly, thinking perhaps Emily may have been up and was just grunting in pain at some movement the blonde had missed, but Emily's eyes fluttered lightly indicating that she was still asleep, the sign of immediate pain gone but that didn't stop Alison from worrying. She let her hand move across Emily's warm stomach, hoping it would comfort her while slowly snuggling further into the brunette as was physically possible. She didn't know why she felt so cold suddenly, it wasn't as though it was an _unnaturally_ cool evening. Trying to ignore the goose bumps on her arm she looked back up at Emily and leant up to kiss her neck delicately, it was innocent enough but for the last several days her hormones had been… _overly_ heightened. She guessed it was the way Emily had taken such control, organizing a date, getting herself ready for her new job that she was scheduled to start in a few days. It seemed, that out of nowhere, Emily had snapped back into adulting life, it was as though she had almost forgotten about what had happened or was at least trying to forget. Alison didn't know what the healthy option was, to let Emily move on in her own way or make the brunette talk about it. She had thought most professionals would suggest talking is the suitable path but really, she just couldn't bring herself to believe that Emily was still struggling. When she had seen Emily that way, she broken and terrified, it broke her heart. But the control that Emily had taken, the way she had made Alison come undone a few days before on the last night Emily's parents were there before having to return to Texas, it was primal and unbelievably sexy. She concluded that this was how Emily would heal, she wasn't ignoring it all together but she wasn't fully acknowledging it either. Perhaps Alison was being selfish, enjoying this Emily, the way she did things, perhaps she should have been more concerned but she wasn't, because she felt she knew when Emily was truly happy or not. And right now, Emily seemed to be happy. Well, perhaps not right in that moment since she began groaning in pain again. "Babe?" She said a little louder now, her intention to wake the brunette up this time. Shaking her slightly when her voice wasn't enough, Emily woke a few moments later in a confused daze before looking down at Alison and registering where she was.

"Ali?" She mumbled in confusion.

"Yeah, are you okay?" Alison said with a gentle smile as she lifted her hand to Emily's cheek, cupping the skin softly while sitting up and adjusting herself to hover just over the brunette.

"Hmm, just tired and sore. Why?"

"No reason honey, go back to sleep." Emily sighed into the kiss that Alison placed lightly on her lips, the blonde was mildly surprised when she furthered it. "Sleep."

"Always so demanding." Emily chuckled as she sat her head back against the pillow and closed her eyes, being sure to pull Alison against her chest with her capable arm. Alison hesitated slightly out of fear for hurting Emily's arm but when the brunette tugged on her a little harder she had no choice but to let her body fall in the space between the warmth of Emily's arm and chest. Her head lay lightly against the crock of Emily's neck and uninjured shoulder, she was comfortable there, safe. She knew that no other persons hold would make her feel so free and protected. The faint thud of Emily's steady heart beat fluttered against her ear, which alone was enough to comfort her and slowly sing her to sleep.

The next morning Alison was already up and dressed when Emily had finally managed to pull herself out of bed, making her way to the kitchen she began her usual routine of mentally preparing herself for the day ahead which couldn't be done without a large mug of coffee. As she walked into the kitchen she was not at all surprised to see Derek there, sitting quietly at the counter pressing almost too aggressively at his phone. Alison was in the corner preparing coffee, her mind seemed to be miles away which gave Emily the advantage of being able to surprise her with a quick kiss on the back of the head as her free hand moved to her hip, playing very dangerously with the skin that peeped out from her slightly lifted shirt.

"Good morning, beautiful." She whispered into Alison's hair, inhaling the scent and forcing the sense to remember every detail of the smooth vanilla that she had become so fond of.

"Well good morning to you, Miss Fields." Alison said with a grin as she drew back to reality and turned around into Emily's hold, leaning up to kiss the content brunette.

"You look stunning." Emily stood back slightly to examine Alison more, the blonde was in a tight black skirt with a loose blouse that looked as though she was going to tuck in but hadn't gotten to it yet, she was wearing a scarf, but not just any scarf, the scarf she wore the night they met and Emily couldn't hold back her smirk. She looked at the filigree light pink flower pattern that sat on the soft lilac fabric and she smiled softly. "I've always liked this scarf." She said playfully as she took the scarf in her hand and let the softness fall in between her fingers.

"I know, me too." Alison giggled as Emily's hand didn't hesitate in sidetracking to the back of neck to pull her in for a sweet kiss, which was deepened rather quickly until Emily realised who else was in the room and she cleared her throat and backed away. "Don't worry about him, he wouldn't notice us even if we were having sex on the counter in front of him, his eyes will be attached to that phone until Duncan comes to pick me up." Alison chuckled when Emily blurted out a laugh while blushing.

"Though that thought is tempting, I think I will have to pass. I don't think I'm physically ready for such adventurous activity just yet." Emily replied as her hand moved down to Alison's hip once more to pull her in close.

"That's a shame." She replied with her trademark smirk and leaned up to kiss her fiancé's neck, teasingly.

"Don't tease, I'll be without you all day today." Emily pouted in return, however titling her head to allow Alison further access.

"You'll just have to be creative if you want to pass the time." Alison whispered against the soft skin of Emily's neck, deliberately taking her time before kissing her pulse point, grazing her teeth ever so slightly across the skin causing the brunette to shiver under her powerful touch before smoothing the skin over with her tongue. "Here." Alison said innocently as she quickly turned away and gave Emily a mug of hot coffee, swaying her hips as she headed towards the fridge to put the milk away.

"Tease." Emily cleared her throat and adjusted herself before subtly looking over at Derek who had indeed not looked away from his phone, relief swept over her and she managed to steady her breathing enough to have a sip of her coffee.

"I'll be home around four, this is my last day of filming before the end of production and editing, I've only got one scene to shoot and assuming that all goes smoothly it won't take too long."

"Already? That seems so quick." Emily said after another sip of coffee, her eyes ranking up and down Alison's slim body, momentarily distracting her.

"Trust me, for me it feels like it's been an eternity." Alison groaned with a roll of her eyes, being happy that this job was almost over. "I know it's a bit early to ask, but when its complete would you consider coming to the premier?" Emily paused mid gulp and almost chocked, Alison chuckled softly before taking the mug from the brunette's now shaking hands and kissed her chin comfortingly. "There is no obligation." She confirmed confidently.

"The premier? Like, the red-carpet kind of thing."

"Yes, there will be cameras and lots of people and lots of noise, it's not particularly fun and it takes up your whole night for one movie." Alison rambled on, already sounding bored at the idea.

"Are you trying to talk out of coming?" Emily laughed, forcing her hands to steady and pick back up her mug, taking a large sip to distract herself.

"No, but I'm making sure you're aware of what it will be like. It can be fun though, we get to dress up and go to a fancy theatre in a limo. You might even be lucky and I'll invite you to the after party." She winked and Emily dipped her head in a soft laugh.

"Sure, why not?" She said casually and placed her mug down, placing her now free hand on Alison's hip she let her eyes get distracted once more and admire her beautiful fiancé. "When?"

"Oh, they are yet to edit and select a release date so you've probably got a least two or three months to mentally prepare yourself." Alison laughed as she moved into Emily's embrace, puffing out her chest slightly when she noticed the brunette's wondering eye. Emily nodded slowly, her mind instantly elsewhere and beyond distracted, she was no longer worried about the premier or the premise around it. It was a future issue she would concern herself with at a much later date but for the present moment, she was content at looking at Alison, drinking in every detail of her beautiful blonde that nuzzled so well into her own body.

"Something catch your eye?" The blonde challenged and Emily smirked.

"Definitely." She replied, her grasp tight on Alison's hip until she decided to tuck in the stray part of her silky shirt. "If today is the last day of filming wouldn't that mean you'd have some sort of party to celebrate or something?"

"Well, yes but it's not the last day of filming all together, I believe there is a few extra scenes that must be dealt with over the next few days. It's _my_ last day, the end of film party is happening Friday I believe."

"So, that means you are free tonight?" Emily enquired with a quirked eyebrow.

"Yes, I am." Alison quirked her own eyebrow and looked up at the brunette with hopeful eyes.

"Good, keep it that way." Leaning down slowly Emily captured Alison's soft lips in her own and sighed contently, she felt Alison do the same and her warm arms wrap around the back of her neck.

"Are you plotting our first date night?" The blonde murmured against her lips, her hands making a comfortable landing around the brunette's shoulders, being careful not to bump her injured side.

" _Maybe_ , I guess you'll have to wait and see." Emily chuckled knowingly, it was obvious that was the case but she wasn't about to give any details away, no matter how convincing Alison's lips were.

"Are you going to tell me _anything_?" The blonde almost groaned before feeling Emily's tongue lick her bottom lip ever so slightly, asking for permission which was quickly granted.

"No, I like the idea of you squirming a little at work."

"Tease." Alison whined as Emily suddenly retracted her tongue and let her lips move down the blonde's neck, being careful not to leave any marks as she softly nibbled and sucked, though it was tempting.

"You secretly love it." The brunette challenged and Alison moved out of the kiss, she was impressed, and totally taken by surprise but she couldn't help but give away a soft smile that indicated she indeed, loved it.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Derek suddenly spoke and Emily sighed but didn't jump out of Alison's hold as the blonde would have expected. "But Duncan is here." He continued, finally looking up from his phone he threw what was left of his coffee down his throat and swallowed as if afraid of interrupting and the warm liquid was a shot of courage. Alison turned to face him with a soft smile before reaching up to give Emily a chaste kiss and exiting her comforting hold.

"See you tonight then." She kissed the bandages of Emily's shoulder and looked deep into her warm chocolate coloured eyes, they were mesmerizing and intoxicating, easy to get lost in and a constant reminder of how lucky she always felt when she looked into them.

"Can't wait, have a good day." Emily kissed her forehead before she turned and made her way passed Derek and out of the room, the young man stayed behind briefly to give the brunette a knowing nod which had thought Alison had missed, it was as though the two were exchanging some sort of conversation without saying a word. _Sneaky_ , she thought to herself as she looked back over her shoulder and sure Derek quickly gather his things to leave.

"What was that about?" Alison confronted him when they got in the car, after saying their good mornings to Duncan.

"What?" Derek almost squeaked and he knew in that moment he was caught, rolling his eyes he looked over at Duncan for help who merely shrugged his shoulders in hopes he would be left out of the line of questioning.

"You're about as subtle as a shotgun, Derek." Alison laughed as she put her seatbelt on and watched from the back seat as her manager tapped at the black screen of his locked phone. "Don't make me pull out the boss card."

"Can't you just let this happen without your control? Don't make me spoil all the effort she's gone through by pulling out that card." He took the brave road, hoping that guilt would be enough to make Alison drop it, there was a long moment of silence and he knew that Alison was ready to back down – for now anyway.

"What about the cancer card?" She joked, clearly not pushing the topic, she kind of liked the idea of Emily going through all the effort, no one had done that for her before.

"Well that's just not fair." Derek recognised the humour and stopped his nervous tapping. Alison hadn't ever spoken about her cancer with him, not really, only when it affected her work in which case they would talk more about what would happen instead of what was going on. He liked that she could look at it lightly now, that she was positive and healthy about it.

"It's way too early to be pulling such a card." Duncan perked up from the driver's seat. "I've only had one coffee, I'll need way more if you're going to pull that card."

"Really it's only half a card because you don't have it anymore." Derek murmured as he looked down at his phone which had buzzed in between the conversation, he went quiet after that.

"True, hence why I pulled the 'I'm your boss card' first." The rest of the trip was mostly silent, occasionally Duncan would grumble about the usual traffic and Derek would somehow manage to lift his head once or twice from his phone, he seemed more attached to it than usual but she decided not to question it. Mostly because she was tired and used to his inconsistency. When Duncan stopped the car in the now regular spot Alison looked out the tinted window and wanted to groan, she knew the day was going to be long, it wasn't even eight yet and she was ready to go home. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy working, especially on such an important project, but she was eager for date night, she was desperate to know what Emily was planning and though she knew she could probably get Derek to talk since he seemed to be involved she decided to hold back. He had been right not wanting to spoil Emily's efforts but it didn't make Alison squirm any less. "Thanks." She murmured as she grabbed her bag and exited, her mind now somewhat off Emily and the evening but more focused on her final scenes for that day. She knew if she motivated herself enough the day would pass, if she focused all her efforts into conversations with co-stars and friends it would make it more bearable but as she walked to her dressing room she could barely managed two words to anyone that said good morning to her.

"I'll get you a coffee while you change." Derek offered and he merged off into one of the other rooms, the hallway she walked along was long and surprisingly tight, she had never quite grown used to it throughout production. There would always be workers carrying equipment or extras fussing over their hair outside dressing rooms, she would force a smile when they met eyes but she ducked her head in hopes they would catch the hint she didn't feel like talking.

"Hey girl." Mona called from behind her and she stopped for the short girl to catch up.

"Hey. How are you?" She asked genuinely while smiling at a couple of men dressed in all black carrying some spot lights.

"Alive, you look fabulous today." The dark hair girl said happily as she quickly played with Alison's scarf. "This look familiar." She chuckled and Alison rolled her eyes and tugged it out of the Mona's questioning hands.

"Lay off, it's vintage." The blonde grumbled as she turned down the corridor towards their private dressing rooms.

"Yeah, _that's_ why you won't let me touch it." Mona laughed as she lifted her hands defensively and reached into her pocket to pull out her phone. "Eh," She puffed, "Are you going to this group interview thing on Saturday?"

"I wasn't aware there was a choice." Alison shrugged her handbag over her shoulder as it slipped loose slowly.

"Please, there's always a choice." She locked her phone and put it back in her bag, clearly unimpressed with the fact that she would be spending her Saturday on a MTV cast introduction interview for the new movie. She supposed by that point they would have gotten motivated enough to give them a release date to announce, they would need it by Friday anywhere so the editors had a dead line and wouldn't slack off.

"Not for me, I think being the main character I should probably make an appearance." Alison put her hand on the doorknob to her room and looked back at Mona who shrugged with a casual smile.

"You also have the lady-balls to tell them you're not interested."

"Well, I think the movie is a compelling cause, so yes, I will be there. You should be too, it will give you some good rep. If anything else, I don't want to look like I don't care."

"Hun, you are practically engaged to Emily, I think it's safe to say everyone knows your pro-gay." Alison cleared her throat at Mona's word choice but quickly recovered by forcing her eyes elsewhere and opening her dressing room door. Walking in she turned back to the shorter woman and smiled casually as if she wasn't thrown off guard. "What just happened?" Mona giggled and put her foot between the door and Alison so the blonde couldn't shut it on her.

"What? Nothing." The blonde stuttered, she was too tired to be interrogated.

"Spit it out hun, what's going on?" Mona folded her arms and leant against the door frame with sharp eyes, giving Alison the most aggressive form of cross-examination the blonde felt she'd ever witnessed, which was impressive since Mona hadn't even said much yet.

"I can't tell you."

"Eh, you're so secretive. Fine but you're going to have to tell me eventually." Mona winked as if there was no choice, Alison wanted to challenge her but was interrupted by Derek handed her a coffee in a tall take away cup – just how she liked it – before slipping passed them both and heading into the private room.

"See you on set." Alison turned and shut the door behind her after Mona gave her a quick smile and disappearing down the hallway. As she looked down at her coffee and watched the steam seep through the small gap in the lid she suddenly felt nervous, this was not a normal feeling nor was it welcomed but she puffed out her shoulders and lifted her head high, hoping it would give her some rise of confidence.

"You can tell her, you know?" Derek said, his head facing his phone but his eyes looking up kindly at Alison as she placed her coffee cup on her dresser.

"No, I can't, I love that girl but she can't keep her mouth shut to save her life." Alison chuckled while sitting down, Jackie entered shortly after with a bag slugged over her shoulder, she nodded at Derek and gave Alison a smile before mustering up the courage to speak.

"Are you talking about Mona?" She said bravely and Alison lifted her hand to the woman as though she was thankful for her input.

"Point taken." Derek muttered as his eyes averted back to his phone knowing he was defeated. "Well whenever you're ready then."

"How would you propose we go about it? Just let it slip into the media as if it were nothing? Or make a big deal about it as if it were something?" She sipped at her coffee before disappearing behind a dressing cover so she could quickly undress and slip into a dressing robe, making sure she was ready to redress into her provided costume after Jackie was finished with hair and make-up.

When she re-emerged, she sat down and made herself comfortable, giving Jackie an encouraging nod allowing her to begin doing her hair, there was a profile photo of Alison with her correct hair and make-up sitting in front of the mirror that Jackie had to follow, it was from a previous day of shooting that she had to duplicate as they were shooting a similar scene. She began busing herself and didn't speak again, though when she looked between the photo and Alison she would give her a smile before continuing.

"That's not up to me." Derek muttered later, he had spent most of the time Jackie did doing Alison's hair thinking of how to respond, Alison was honestly not expecting a response because it was mostly rhetorically since Derek had always preferred the easier option.

"What? You never give me that option." Alison was baffled, totally taken aback by his remark and ready to pinch herself and wake up from this dream she _must_ have been having.

"I'm serious, this is something you have to choose, you've made it this far without my help, besides the ring- besides the shopping, why stop now?" He stopped mid-sentence and looked over to Jackie who paused mid braid to look over at him and then back to Alison who shook her head dismissively – she would deal with Jackie later or at least until Derek's loud mouth was out of the room. Though he did have a point. She had made it this far independently, she hadn't known when she'd become so reliant on his approval for things, she guessed it was somewhere between meeting Emily and having cancer. _What a year_ , she thought to herself before rubbing her neck, it had been strained to the right for a moment to long causing a soft ache to slowly appear.

"Sorry, you can straighten up now." Jackie stated apologetically and continued.

"It is something." She murmured and looked over towards Derek in the mirror while making sure her head remained perfectly still for Jackie's sake, Derek looked up from his phone and smiled.

"Then make it a big deal." He stood from the chair and picked up her now empty cup. "I'm getting another, want one?"

"No thanks, I think I'll start vibrating if I have any more caffeine." She shook her head slightly before cringing when she released Jackie had a very tight hold, she mouthed sorry in the mirror but she shook her head as if it didn't matter.

"I'm sure Emily would appreciate that." He replied and Jackie couldn't hold back the scoff, she quickly dipped her head apologetically and gave Alison enough space to grab the closest item to her and throw it towards Derek who had already retreated to the door, he disappeared behind it when he realised her intentions and the brush bounced to the ground with a loud clang.

"That would have got him if he didn't run. Good aim." She laughed as she elegantly finalized a braid and tucked it behind Alison's messy pony tail with a bobby-pin. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh."

"Don't apologise, it was actually pretty funny, but I can't let him get away with everything, then he'd forget who the boss is."

"I don't think he could ever forget that." Jackie said as she lifted the hair straightener from the table and quickly did the ends of Alison's stray hairs giving her a sort of ragged effect.

"Emily and I are engaged." She stated a few moments later and Jackie stopped with the straightener only to quickly release it and put it on the table as if the news weren't overly surprising.

"That's great to hear." She said with a smile and bent down in front of Alison to finalise the rest of her hair. "When did that happen?"

"Before the whole fiasco at my house," She had told Jackie in more detail than she had told others about what had happened that night, she didn't tell her everything but enough for her friend to understand the situation. "We haven't told many people because we haven't had much time to talk about it. I don't know what she wants just yet so please don't say anything."

"You know I won't." Jackie said with a caring smile. She turned to her bag and pulled out her large make-up kit, opening a black case she looked between the assortment of eyeliner and concealers and back to the profile photo of Alison several times before picking the ideal winner. "I'm happy for you. It's good to see you happy."

"Thanks, Jack." The blonde nodded and looked down at her phone that had buzzed in her pocket at some point without her knowledge.

 _Going crazy yet trying to figure out tonight? Don't think too much on it baby (see what I did there?) Was trying to make you think about it while telling you not to think about it… that was a lot funnier in my head…_

 _Is my teasing working? Pfft probably not you're way too strong for my lack of teasing skills._

 _I miss you sweetheart_

 _Have a good day xx_

Alison chuckled before sending a quick reply, after that Jackie required her eyes to be looking at the ceiling or to the sides for optimal access for eyeliner so she couldn't message her brunette any further.

"Perhaps you shouldn't worry too much about what everyone else will think?" Jackie stated when she had finished applying eyeliner and moving onto shadowing.

"What makes you think I care about that?" Alison quirked an eyebrow curiously at her make-up artist.

"Remember when I first met you and all you did was order Derek and Mason around? And if they spoke out of place you would almost destroy them?"

"Are you saying I've turned soft?" Alison laughed.

"No, not at all, now you're more of the silent striker. I meant more even if you did actually care about what people thought you wouldn't let them know it."

" _So_ , you're saying?" Alison elongated her words in hopes Jackie would get to the point faster.

"I'm saying, now is no different to then." Alison didn't really know how to reply, though after a few moments Jackie was moving to her lipstick so there really was no way she could. It had never occurred to her that perhaps she shouldn't care what anyone would think, her life, being that she was celebrity meant that there were going to be sacrifices – sure there would be great perks, money and power being the two most common, but did the cost really have to be that every decision she made had to be thought through thoroughly? She looked down at Jackie who seemed lost in her own world, she didn't question her, nor did she really want to because she knew Jackie was right. It didn't really matter, and Alison knew she would always choose Emily over her career. Even if Emily didn't think that.

"Have you gone through today's lines?" Derek was suddenly at her side again, she didn't hear him come in but didn't over think it. She looked over at him when Jackie was finally finished poking at her lips, the temptation to lick them was over powering but she resisted – mostly because Jackie would probably lose her cool if she messed up the make-up that quickly.

"Yes." She nodded as Jackie looked her over one final time before moving aside and grabbing Alison her designated costume.

"Is this the first kiss scene?" Jackie questioned as she grabbed her black make-up case and began placing the used items back into its designated spot.

"Yes, apparently, they want to go over it again, the lighting was wrong or something." Alison muttered, displeasure clear in her voice but she stood with a forced smile and took the costume Jackie presented her and disappeared back behind her dressing cover. Slipping into her jeans with a few holes and tears she looked at herself in the mirror, her scars were fading but still clearly visible on her chest, it was the first time in a while that she had actually stopped to acknowledge, for the most part she had sort of repressed them. Though she had felt ugly Emily had gone through great lengths to make her feel beautiful again. Clearing her throat, she quickly threw on the baggy white t-shirt that deliberately had holes and dirt on it, she sighed and threw on the red flannelette jacket before turning around and adjusting herself to a comfortable pre-set.

"I'll roll up the sleeves for you Ali, I've got a photo of that all here." Jackie called and Alison let the sleeves of the thin material fall down her arms, walking around she took the Converse Jackie was handing to her and sat to put them on, afterwards she stood and let Jackie make the final adjustments.

"I couldn't look anymore more of a stereo typical lesbian." She chuckled as Derek stood from the chair on the other side of the room and readied himself to guide her to the set.

"I don't know, maybe a snapback hat would finish the outfit off." Jackie laughed a little before tapping her shoulders softly, indicating that she was finally done. "Good to go."

"How much of this costume do you think I'll mess up between here and the set?" Alison chuckled as she walked to the door, Jackie at her side and Derek opening it for them. As they walked Derek mumbled on as he always did while Jackie counting the items in her black make-up case, making sure she hadn't forgotten anything essential. Alison pondered over her lines, though there won't many, this was a pretty basic scene though she was sure Alyssa would do everything in her power to make it difficult, she was like a child sometimes.

"Like last time I'll add more dirt and rough up your hair as they shoot. Hopefully lighting will be better this time." Jackie commented as she closed the black case and followed the two.

"Mhmm." Alison grumbled, the day before was supposed to be her last day of filming but less than a week before she had been informed an extra day was needed, not that this was entirely surprising, things like that happened quite frequently, more than the investors liked which always meant a lot of boring meetings for directors and producers – she was thankful she was not part of that team, just yet anyway but it also always meant that there was a lot of pressure for things to be done better and faster. It was stressful but she could handle it, what she couldn't handle was Alyssa's sudden desire to be purposefully disruptive, yet somehow, she was managing.

The set was a beautiful forest design with greenscreens in the background, the room itself wasn't overly large but it was big enough that camera men and microphone holders could hide and make time for pranking each other, Alison laughed when she saw one of the younger camera crew boys shuffle in a small shrub that was hidden by a tree, he stood when he realised he was caught and then blushed, he then quickly went back to his post and lowered his head in embarrassment. His supervisor punched his shoulder playfully before handing him a large folder of papers while ordering him to continue with some job.

"Hey." Alison heard Alyssa say behind her and she couldn't help her shoulders subconsciously drop, she was now wishing she had taken that second coffee Derek had offered her. "Keen for today?" The woman forced, clearly seeing Alison's falling shoulders.

"Relatively, I want it to be over though, I have plans tonight." She looked over at Jackie who gave her an encouraging smile before resisting the urge to play with her hair.

"Plans? Hot date?" Alyssa said kindly and Alison sighed, perhaps she was genuinely trying today and Alison wasn't going to deny a good day of work for some small talk.

"Something like that." Alison returned her smile and took the script Derek was presenting her, though she had already gone over it many times and had even shot this scene already she took his gesture as a saving point and began reading over it lightly. Though she didn't mind Alyssa when she was like this she didn't really want to participate in small talk, she was just grateful that Alyssa's manager had done the same thing and distracted her with a script of her own. Alison wasn't sure when things with Alyssa had gone so wrong, most people would have said when Alyssa had kissed her but Alison felt different, she felt the moment Alyssa had tried to make their relationship more than professional she had lost that connection with her, apparently not on camera which was always good but she had lost the chance at a real friendship, before all the drama they had gotten on quite well. Alison was almost offended that Alyssa had to go and ruin it with feelings but she knew, in the end, no one could help that. After what seemed like an eternity the director and crew were ready to shoot, not that anyone really seem to care, everyone was being surprisingly relaxed and it was oddly alarming, for Alison anyway.

"So, you two are all good with what you need to do?" The director asked after almost lecturing the both on them for over five minutes, it wasn't that she was being rude, it was more she didn't want to have to film this scene a third time – not that it was her actresses fault but a small walk through before shooting couldn't hurt. After both girls nodded she turned around and disappeared in with the small collection of people sitting in front of a few monitors that were displaying what the cameras were filming.

"This is exciting, isn't it?" Alison decided to try before shooting began, Alyssa turned to her with a curiously raised eyebrow. "Like, we're creating something special and it's going to make a difference for a lot of people."

"It is kind of exciting." Alyssa agreed, finally happy that Alison seemed to be acknowledging her properly again, or at least momentarily concede her long enough to make shooting that day a little easier.

"Alright girls, get ready Alyssa for your que." Someone called, both girls looked to the person who was hiding behind the camera but no face was easily spotted, Alyssa nodded before departing and Alison was left alone, sitting on a fake set with lights pointed in every direction, she almost felt like they were over compensating for last times mistake, which could also mean another mistake was almost bound to happen if they were being over cautious. "Okay, Alison you know what to do?" The director called from behind the monitors, Alison gave her a confident nod before making herself as comfortable as possible and pretended to hold her arm as if it was injured – all part of the scene and ready to go. "And action!"

-x-

It was almost four thirty when Derek dropped Alison home, the blonde was surprised really that the day had ended relatively well, though obviously there was going to be complications she was almost pleasantly surprised she was only half an hour late – she was just hoping that Emily wouldn't be too annoyed. She had sent the brunette a message but there was no reply, she was very much hoping that Emily's phone was simply off. She wanted to give Derek a swift goodbye but he seemed relentless on keeping her in the car.

"How do you feel about your last day?" He asked almost too innocently and Alison quirked an eyebrow.

"Why are you stalling?" She questioned when she noticed Derek look down nervously at his phone. He gave her an apologetic smile before shrugging his shoulders, shortly after his phone buzzed and he almost threw her out of the car with some pathetic exhausted about a meeting. Alison shook her head and made her way inside, she could hear Emily's favourite playlist playing over the sound system as she put the key in the lock somewhat hoping that the brunette was still in the habit of locking the house up even when she was home, sighing in relief when she felt the dead lock click over as she twisted the key she entered, to her surprise there was a single red rose waiting on the small table where she usually placed her keys. Blushing slightly, she put the keys down and picked up the rose, raising it to her nose she inhaled its sweet scent and gazed at the soft pedals contently, almost forgetting that she was a half hour late.

"Hello gorgeous." Emily wished from behind, startling her a little only to be calmed by the brunette's warm hands against her hips.

"Hi, I'm sorry I'm late."

"Actually, I prepared for you to be later, I can never predict your work so I thought ahead." Emily said with a smile as Alison turned around in her hold. "We've got some time to waste." She giggled and her chocolate brown eyes sparkled with hope, Alison softened not only at Emily's longing gaze but at her hold, it was always so comforting after a long day at work.

"Is that so?" The blonde tried to recover herself, she felt completely thrown off her game already by this date and Emily had merely surprised her with a rose.

"But… We won't be doing _that_ , not yet." Emily whispered in her ear before kissing the soft skin below, nibbling gently at the spot before retracting and smirking playfully.

"You're withholding sex?" Alison asked, surprise clear in her tone.

"Hmm no, more like _rescheduling_." She laughed and pulled Alison in for a tight embrace, breathing in the blonde's beautiful scent making sure she would never forget it.

"You got this for me?" Alison asked when Emily broke away, her hands on her cheeks caressing the skin softly, she looked down at the rose and paused for a moment as though searching for the appropriate response.

"Nah, it was for my other fiancé, she must have forgot it on her way out." Emily chuckled and Alison's lips turned into a harsh thin line but she couldn't frown for long as the brunette's hands lightly tickled her sides. "Kidding. Come on, you look like you need a coffee."

"I look that bad, do I?" Alison giggled rhetorically and Emily kissed her cheek tenderly before taking her hand and guiding her to the kitchen.

"You look stunning, as always." She replied confidently. "Don't forget your rose." She whispered when she saw Alison's frown turn into a soft smile combined with a slight blush.

Emily sat Alison down and insisted on making her a coffee, she had been quite while the coffee machine worked while occasionally looking over her shoulder to give Alison a comforting smile. "How was your last day?" She asked when she placed the hot cup in front of her fiancé who seemed completely lost in thought.

"Surprisingly good, and efficient, Alyssa seemed to get her shit together. Too bad it was on my last day."

"At least she came around." Emily always looked on the positive side of things, it was always refreshing for Alison and illuminating, it was something she felt she couldn't live without now. Having someone who had issues and suffered and struggled who could look at the glass as half full was always something Alison knew she could appreciate, especially since she had suffered in her own way. Life had certainly been hard on her but also very rewarding, her suffering had turned into something positive, not only for her but she could make that into something good and now with a movie that would reach a large community that had known something of suffering she felt it was going to make a difference, or at least help.

"I love you so much." Alison said suddenly, her eyes searching Emily's for a response, at first the initial response was surprise shortly replaced with care and devotion.

"I love you too." She replied as she put the coffee cup down and reach for Alison's warm cheeks. "I don't think I've ever seen you blush this much. I like it." She justified quickly when the blonde's eyes shied away.

"I guess I'm a little nervous for tonight, you've thrown me completely off my game and I don't usually let people take control." She replied honestly and continued to sip slowly at her coffee, the warm liquid a sea of comfort and domain as Emily looked over her with curious eyes.

"I know, but I promise it'll be worth it." She promised with a laugh and looked over Alison kindly, the concern she had tried so hard to hide was concerning enough for Emily. "Do you really want to know what I've got planned? Because I will tell you." The brunette said honestly and Alison paused for a moment, considering her options.

"No, I want this." She answered after a few silent moments of deliberation, she watched as Emily smiled softly and relief was evident in her eyes, she was glad Alison was trying for her, especially since control had always meant something to her. "Just don't take me bungie jumping."

"Damn that was the first thing on the to-do list." Emily stated sarcastically with a joking slap of her knee. "You seem very…" Alison placed her hand on her chin as if it was helping think of the appropriate word, this made the brunette raise an eyebrow cautiously. "Giddy."

"Yes, I've had like five coffees."

"Wow, I'm surprised you're not vibrating." Alison laughed, remember Derek's joke from before and decided it couldn't possibly turn on her this time.

"I bet you would enjoy that though." Emily chuckled and Alison paused mid drink, almost choking when the brunette gave her a wink.

"Well, that apparently could turn against me. You know Derek said something like that to me today."

"I'm very proud of him." She replied while taking her mug to the sink and cleaning it. "You finished?"

"Still going. It's super good, I'm enjoying it."

"Perfect, alright I'm going to have a shower and I'm picking out what you're wearing, so when you're finished that you can shower and change."

"You're choosing what I'm wearing?" Alison stuttered, she began nervously playing with mug and began running different scenarios in her head.

"Calm down, when you've seen what I've picked for you, you'll know what to pick for me." Emily quickly kissed her cheek and went to leave the room.

"When do I have to be ready by?" She turned around and saw Emily think over an answer in her head.

"Be ready to leave by six." The brunette replied before disappearing around the corner. Alison sat alone only for a moment, she finished off her coffee and placed it in the sink, she heard the shower turn on and decided to clean it later. Heading towards their bedroom she began unbuttoning her blouse and was about to take it off and throw it on the bed when the fabric of a dark purple caught her eyes. Laid out perfectly on the bed was her dark purple flannelette jacket, beside it was a black t-shirt and a pair of navy skinny jeans. She had always liked the flannelette style, and had always favourited this jacket but until this moment she had almost forgotten about it. On the floor in front of the bed were her very old pair of converse, she hadn't worn them in years but knew they fit and couldn't bring herself to throwing them out, they were dirty with wear and looked like they had seen better days. The thought of Emily digging through her closet to find them made her blush with embarrassment. For some reason, the whole outfit made her stomach do a flip, this was not at all what she was expecting and it instantly made her try and picture what she could chose Emily to wear. The sound of the humming pipes transferring water to the shower interrupted her thought process, she hastily turned and made her way into the bathroom, with the final button of her blouse undone and her bra on the ground with it, she slowly took off her skirt and underwear. She saw Emily turn in the mist of the shower, even through the cloudy blur of the shower she could see the brunette's eyes light up at the sight of her naked body. Alison shied away quickly as her own eyes fell upon the scar across her chest, though it quickly disappeared when she saw Emily's arm reach out from behind the glass door, as it opened a cloud of steam slipped through inviting Alison to join. She smiled and took the brunette's wet hand. The warm water hit her skin, instantly giving her goose bumps but Emily was quick to rub her hands over the shocked surface starting from the blonde's hands and making her way up her arms until she hit her shoulders, the entire process sent shivers up and down Alison's spin. Sighing contently Emily replaced her hands with her lips and began kissing and sucking at the wet skin of Alison's neck, softly biting before lightly softening the tender skin with her tongue. Though she would be proud to place a lilac like mark on Alison she sensed it wouldn't be appreciated, the thought of the blonde losing her temper over it make her chuckled.

"I know what you're thinking." Alison titled her head slightly, tempting Emily purposefully. "Don't." She whispered with a laugh but somehow managing to still sound dominant and very stern. It was an odd combination.

"I won't." Emily replied but continued to kiss the skin softly, the temptation never really disappearing especially when Alison would constantly move her neck to provide better access. She distracted herself with her hands, making sure they would touch every inch of beautifully soft skin that she could reach, her mind encouraging her to further her actions when they skimmed Alison's breasts however she managed to resist and simply enjoy holding the blonde. Finally lifting her head, she delicately put her lips to Alison's, the water rushed over the heads and slipped down their cheeks providing a slightly awkward position when it came to deepening the kiss, their tongues meshed together as each provided access and the water would slip in to create a warm moisture that quickly began more sexy than awkward. Alison opened her mouth more to deepen the kiss, she was carefully pushed against the shower wall as Emily happily accepted the invitation, the cold tile shocking her skin until Emily's hands were on her thigh, lifting it into her hip so she could stand easily between her. The water began to act as a propeller pushing them to go further and Alison couldn't help but let her fingers fold into the depths of Emily's wet hair, tightening around her scalp when she felt the brunette press her hips against her centre. She let a puff of a moan which was silenced by the combination of a passionate kiss and water, she was about to try and deepen the kiss again when Emily suddenly retracted her hands and hastily got out of the shower, leaving her in a heated mess.

"Just a little warm up, making sure you're awake after a long day of work." Emily teased as she wrapped her body in a towel. "Finish off and do what you've got to do to get ready. I'll be waiting for you to choose my clothes." Alison huffed and watched Emily leave, deciding that she was _definitely_ awake now it was best to enjoy her shower and spend the time contemplating what Emily should wear. When she was done and wrapped in a towel she made her way back into the bedroom where Emily was waiting patiently on the bed, she was now covered by a bathrobe looking causally at her phone to pass the time.

"How was the rest of your shower?" She asked kindly while locking her phone and placing it on the bedside table.

"Lovely, though it could have been a lot better if you stayed." Alison chuckled as she found her own bathrobe and wrapped her body up. She saw in the mirror Emily's eyes glow with endearment before quickly looking away to distract herself, it made the blonde smirk.

"I said we had plenty of time but not _that_ much time. I'm giving you time to get ready and choose my clothes." At the mention of Emily's clothing Alison turned towards their closet and stood for a long moment, trying to think of something appropriate.

"Where's that leather hoodie you always wear?" She asked, not bothering to search the actual closet herself because she knew Emily would know it's exact location.

"Back left." The brunette replied with a smirk, as though she knew Alison would choose it. Not that this fact bothered the blonde, she couldn't care less if she was predictable. When she found the item, she pulled it out along with a plain grey tail-shirt and a pair of light brown chinos. She had only seen Emily wear the baggy pants once but she knew the brunette looked great in them, though it didn't show off her hips and bottom as much she knew it would show off her legs, she had concluded that was just the right amount to show in public. After all, no one was allowed to admire what was hers. Well, if she could help it anyway and since she was picking, it only seemed appropriately fitting.

"Here." She said and handed the items to the brunette who looked over them curiously with a smile, she seemed happy with the choice and began dressing.

-x-

It was five minutes to six and Alison was sitting on the longue waiting for Emily who was taking her time brushing her teeth, flipping her phone casually in her hand Alison looked down at herself. She had worn such casual clothes in public in a long time and briefly thought about what Derek would think, it was quickly replaced with how free and liberated she felt.

"Ready, gorgeous?"

"I've been ready since this morning." She replied eagerly and stood, almost throwing her phone in her pocket. Emily smirked at her excitement and grabbed a set of car keys by the garage door.

"Shall we depart then?" She gestured Alison to walk through the door first and lifted which car keys she was holding when the blonde went to ask which vehicle they were taking. "I'm driving, better prepare yourself for that too by the way." She said as she retracted her hand with another smirk, though Alison hadn't thought about the driving situation it had only just occurred to her that it wouldn't really be a surprise if she was the one driving. "Derek put me on the insurance, so you don't have to worry yourself." She continued with a laugh and Alison shoved her playfully as she opened the door to black AUDI. Slipping in she felt out of place sitting in the passenger seat for some reason, it wasn't as though it was the first time she wasn't driving but as she made herself comfortable she realised how spacious the car actually was, even if it was a sports model, the leather seats and tinted windows were always a luxury she insisted upon. "There's one more thing I'm adding to your outfit too."

"Oh? What is it?" Emily smiled before reaching into the back seat, pulling out was her old black hoodie, she hadn't worn it since before she had left the brunette, she had kind of adjusted to Emily wearing it. "Doesn't it kind of ruin my whole outfit?"

"You don't have to zip it up, and besides there's one more thing." She continued and proceeded to lift a small black piece of fabric, as Alison inspected the item closely she realised what it was and raised her eyebrows in utter surprise.

"You're not taking me to rob a bank, are you?" She stuttered as she took the balaclava from the brunette's hand, she laughed at the suggestion and grabbed her own from her pocket.

"I doubt you're in need of more money, I guess you'll just have to wait until we get there."

"Okay, _now_ I'm nervous." The blonde countered hesitantly as she watched Emily put her seatbelt on.

"Don't be." Emily said confidently, a smirk joining her attitude, however Alison couldn't help but swallow a large lump that formed in the back of her throat. "Look, this isn't going to be some fancy high class date, which I'm thinking you might have been expecting." Emily put the keys in the ignition but didn't start the engine just yet. " _But_ I think it's something you haven't really experienced, not to my knowledge anyway, so if you can hold onto your curiosity a little longer I promise it'll be worth it."

Alison paused and took the time to contemplate her options, she could turn alpha dog and demand Emily an explanation, which is what she would have always done before she had met the brunette, but that option would ruin the date or at least the suspense of it all.

"What's a little more suspension, right?" She said with a soft smile and Emily returned it while putting the keys in the ignition, twisting them swiftly the engine responded by purring to life excitedly and it continued to hum happily as though it hadn't been driven for years and was letting everyone know it was ready to go. Emily felt this sensation rush through her bones acting as a hot fuel, surging like a drug in her veins, sending her nerves into a pecking blast of ecstasy.

"Seatbelt. Miss DiLaurentis." The brunette chuckled with a smirk and Alison blushed as the combination of being told what to do and being copied washed over her. The only rational response she could manage was doing as she told.

-x-

Alison had been sitting in the car alone for just over ten minutes when she was ready to call Emily and question her idea of a date when she heard the boot of the car open and close, somewhat startling her.

"I was beginning to think you were ditching me." She chuckled when Emily got back in the car. They were parked in a side street but now that it was getting darker the pedestrian traffic was picking up, she was happy people were too absorbed in their own lives to notice the car, she guessed it was why Emily had chosen the AUDI and not the Ferrari and though high-end vehicles were popular or at least not unheard of in Hollywood it didn't' stop by-passers to stop and stare.

"Have some faith, now we're good to go."

As Emily drove she hummed along to the music while Alison sang proudly aloud, this was how things usually worked when they were driving alone, unless the brunette really enjoyed the song – then she would join in with Alison. However, as the blonde's words faded away slowly she let her eyes do a quick investigation, she smiled when she saw Alison's gaze was on the outside passing by, the evening was coming upon them and the city began to light up. Emily continued to drive up the mountain towards the Hollywood sign, not that she could obviously get that close in a car or even on foot – not that she was about to make Alison do a hike, especially at night but she planned to get close.

"Wait," The blonde said quietly as she began to put the puzzle pieces together, or so Emily thought. "You're not going to make me hike to the sign, are you? You know we can't actually get that close, right?" Emily sighed with a laugh and pulled the car off to the side of the road when she found what she was looking for, it was a perfect spot that she had come by almost accidentally when she went exploring one day shortly after Derek had put her on the car insurance list. It over looked the city and had a great view, either way she was hoping Alison was going to appreciate the sentiment.

"Babe, we're not going to be breaking any laws, will you _please_ chill?" She continued to laugh as she got out of the car and made her way to the boot once more, opening it Alison saw her pull out a box of some sort and plastic bag before shutting it and returning to the driver's seat. The sudden scent of pizza hit Alison's nose and it made her taste buds tingle and her mouth salivate subconsciously. "See? No law breaking. Just pizza and Coke and a great view." She smiled shyly, afraid that this might not have been enough but as Alison swiftly undid her seatbelt and threw herself into the brunette's arms kissing her cheeks frantically all her worries disappeared.

"And perfect company." The blonde replied and pulled Emily closer to kiss her passionately on the lips.

"Your Coke, my lady." Emily cooed lightly as she pulled a can out of the plastic bag.

"Why thank you, kind madam." Alison replied light-heartedly.

After they ate they sat in silence for a short moment, looking at the view and listening to the music that hummed innocently in the background, it was later now and the night in the city seemed to bring not only the once dull-looking buildings but Alison to life. She watched as Alison looked out the window, her eyes glimmered at the sight, her breathing was light but it was as though her breath was taken away, as though she was seeing all this for the first time. The different colours of the city, the moon and stars, everything seemed new. It felt new. Emily reached over and took the blonde's that lay so delicately in her lap and smiled when bright blue eyes looked into her own.

"Thank you." Alison said softly and brought the brunette's warm hand to her lips. "This is perfect."

"I try." She placed her hand gently against Alison's cheek and smoothed over the skin with her thumb, lightly trailing along her cheek bone towards her lip until she replaced her fingers with her lips. Opening her mouth ever so slightly, the whisper and promise of Emily's tongue dangled playfully on the edges of the blonde's lips, it was sweet and thick. Alluring and auspicious. She felt Alison move into her, pushing her body as well as she could in the position that was provided. "I think Cece's right, we're like teenagers." Emily puffed through their kissing and let her hands take control as Alison merely giggled before deepening the kiss further.

"I'm not complaining." She countered a few moments later as her hands made landing on Emily's leather jacket, pushing it off her shoulders but being careful not to cause any stress on the injured side. She felt Emily smile against her lips and this gave her the opportunity to slip her tongue it for a messy but hot kiss, their lips interlocked in the sweet and spicy combination of pizza and Coke. Alison took control and threw the pizza box that sat between them to the backseat, she couldn't have cared how much mess she made, it would be worth it. Pushing closer to Emily she awkwardly but somehow managing to remain sexy she shifted across the car and mounted herself onto the brunette's lap, snaking her hands tightly around the back of Emily's head and lacing her fingers deep into the thick brown locks. "Are you going to tell me what the hoodie and mask is for?" She whispered seductively and slowly grinded her hips downwards against Emily deliberately.

"If this is your way of getting information out of me, I'm going to keep secrets from you more often." Emily chuckled as she leaned up to nibble at Alison's pulse point while placing her hands on the blonde's thighs that sat tightly either side of her legs. "You'll find out soon enough, trust me you're going to love it." She continued innocently suckling at the soft skin of Alison's neck, hard enough that the blonde couldn't help moaning but not hard enough to mark her.

"You're such a _tease_. I love it." She groaned in return and pulled the brunette out of the crook of her neck and clashed their lips together.

 _To be continued…_

 _ **Okay I'm an ass for leaving it here but as I said I wanted to update something before I have my surgery. Anything you guys want specifically in the next chapter? I'm up for suggestions, I've obviously got the main plot but if anyone wants some specific, write a review or send me a message.  
I hope you guys enjoyed**_

 _ **-Aemstar**_


	33. Chapter 33

**Hey guys I'm back! I tried to do as much writing as I could over the last month but I only just got my hand back so typing was difficult and I'm still recovering after two surgeries but thanks sooooooo much for all the lovely messages and comments, it was so wonderful to get all that!**

 **Disclosure: I'm sorry if this doesn't seem overly realistic, I tried the best I could. Enjoy!**

 _ **Chapter Thirty-Three**_

"Are you sure I can't convince you to continue what we were doing in the car?" Alison pouted playfully as she clutched to Emily's arm, the brunette was shrugging into her leather jacket that had been taken off in the mist of their excitement after dinner.

"I thought you wanted to know what these were for?" She chuckled in response as she pulled herself out of the car and made her way around to Alison's side and opened the door while holding up the balaclava's.

"Well, I do but what we were doing was _way_ more interesting."

"Put it on." Emily laughed again and threw the item into the car, hitting the blonde directly on the cheek. With a groan, the blonde complied and slipped the fabric over her head and sat it comfortably around her neck and face, it was slightly constricting but the material was thin enough that breathing wasn't going to be an issue. "Hoodie too." Emily said with a flip of her wrists and she was suddenly covered by the darkness of not only the night sky but also her clothing.

"Where are we? I've never been in this part of LA before." She questioned curiously as Emily assisted her with the hood of her jacket, she looked around the tight alley way and the back at the brunette, she could hear in the distance the faintest sound of music pulsing against brick walls but nothing surrounding her she recognised, it made her nervous. The alley was dark, damp and gloomy, slightly off putting until she felt Emily's warm arm around her waist.

"The alley is slightly daunting but once we get inside," Emily said as she released Alison's waist and pulled out her phone, "You'll be fine." She pressed confidently before dialling a few numbers on her phone and putting it to her ear. "Hey, it's me, heading up now." Her head was turned up the alleyway but her eyes quickly glanced over at Alison whose eyebrows were raised high with curiosity. "Sweet, see you in a couple of minutes." She hung up her phone and placed it back in her pocket, leaning down she slipped the balaclava down and pressed her lips against Alison's before straightening up and adjusting the blonde's mask back to its original state.

"This is all very mysterious." She muffled through the fabric as Emily took her hand and guided her up the alley, away from the street, though it seemed odd to be heading away from the night life it also made sense since their identities were being purposefully hidden. Alison took long deep breaths through the mask, the night was warm and the air was thick with the combination of the city and the salty air, she knew they were close to the beach because she saw the lights of the Santa Monica Pier Ferris wheel glow in the distant sky when she looked up over the buildings.

"But you're very excited, I can tell."

"Very much so." The blonde giggled while squeezing tightly at Emily's hand and skipping happily by her side, the sound of music got louder and made it easy to identify the source. Alison looked over towards an older building, the roof, though tall was obviously decorated with some sort of lighting display to attract attention, the only door attached to the building was an old metal one, it looked heavy but the door was not what had caught Alison's attention but instead the hooded figure standing in front of it.

"Hey, about time you showed up." The masked person said happily as they lifted their arm up to give Emily a combination handshake and hug.

"Yeah sorry, we got a bite to eat before we came." Emily stated as she placed her arm comfortably around Alison's side.

"It's almost ten, that's a long dinner." The woman giggled, that was all Alison could identify from her, her face was covered by a bandana and the rest of her head was covered by a hoodie. "I'm not judging," The woman put her hands up to quickly defend herself, "Anyway, you must be the lovely Alison DiLaurentis?" Alison looked up from her hand that was playing aimlessly with Emily's jumper, clearing her throat she gave the brunette a cautious glance. "Oh honey, don't you worry about me, but she had to tell someone, otherwise you two wouldn't be able to get in."

"And what is it we're trying to get into exactly?" The blonde questioned curiously, feeling out of the loop.

"You've made it this far, hold on a little longer." Emily insisted before the masked assistant could reply.

"Here, put these on just in case a guard asks you for your pass." The woman pulled out rainbow coloured wrist bands from her pocket and handed them to the two girls before her. "They are handing these to people who enter at the front so no one will suspect you."

"Thanks for this." Emily said gratefully as she placed the item on her wrist, Alison did the same and started to connect the dots that formed before her. "What do we do if we need a quick escape?"

"There _is_ a fire escape upstairs but this door will probably be your safest option, not that it will come to that. Thanks to these bad boys." She casually flicked at her rainbow bandanna and gave Alison a wink before stepping aside and opening the door, the deep bass of techno music flooded out – it would've surprised Alison if she weren't preparing herself for it.

"Have fun kiddos, it's down the hallway follow the music. Hey message me if you need help." She directed towards Emily before disappearing down the dark hallway, bright florescent lights flashed between the cracks of a designed brick wall.

"You've been in LA how long? And you've already made connections in the clubbing scene?" Alison chuckled after walking inside, leaning against the wall she watched Emily close the door behind her and adjusted her hoodie.

"What can I say? I made friends." Emily shrugged while also adjusting her hoodie. "I met her on my first work video call actually."

"Ah colleague, and you've been to the office how many times?" The blonde asked as she pulled at Emily's leather jacket, closing the distance between them.

"Twice but I've done a few video calls already and I made friends with Skye over email." She said casually as she continued to close the distance between the two of them.

"Skye?"

"Yeah, she's cool, and she helped organise this event and helped us getting in without having to show our ID out the front, saving us publicity issues. Now come on." She quickly pulled away and took Alison's hand. Walking down the tight hallway through what they assumed to be an emergency exit the sound of music began to invade their ears more personally, the sound of people singing and yelling along with the tune also joined in. Skye was waiting at the end of the hallway talking to some unknown masked person, the best Alison could tell was the person was a woman by her figure.

"Hey." Skye called over the pulsing music. "This is Violet, she helped organise this event." She indicated her hand over to the woman, she was tall and thin but even in her hoodie she was distinguishably muscular. Emily and Alison both greeted Violet who gave them both a tight hug, and though the bottom half of her face was covered by a violet bandanna it was obvious she was smiling.

"Welcome girls. There's a bar on both levels and upstairs has a great view of the dance floor. What's your colour?" Violet asked casually and Alison crinkled her eyebrows in confusion before looking up at Emily.

"Tonight's event here is 'Rainbows in Hiding', instead of your name, we are a colour." Emily explained with a raised voice and Alison's eyebrows slowly relaxed. Looking over her shoulder she looked around the crowded club, it was full of women dressed in hooded jackets and different coloured masks, different types of rainbow decoration filled the space and many people were holding different coloured glow sticks.

"It's a great way for people to meet without judgement." Skye added when Alison pulled her attention back to their conversation on the outer edge of the club.

"That's really cool." Alison said after she felt Emily's arm around her shoulder.

"So? What's your colour girl?" Violet said as she sipped at the drink she had until that point been swishing in her hand.

"Indigo." Emily said first when Alison took a moment too long to respond. She looked down at the blonde with gentle eyes and rubbed her shoulder knowingly.

"Kobicha." Alison said a few moments later, her head bopping up and down slightly to the music that continued to blare loudly in the background. All three heads titled with curiosity, Skye chuckled and took Violet's cup, taking a long sip, she returned the drink and looked back to Alison.

"Sounds fancy, save me a google search?" She laughed again moved closer to Violet, her head snuggling into the taller girls' body.

"It's a beautiful shade of brown." Alison answered as she gazed up at Emily's eye and even though the brunette's cheeks were covered Alison knew heat rose within them. Skye and Violet looked between the two and cooed in unison.

"Oh, my, god. That is adorable, your names are each other's eye colour? Now why didn't we think of that?" Violet waved her hand lightly between them before slapping Skye's shoulder playfully. As the three continued to talk Alison shyly looked around the room, no one was looking at her, no one was going out of their way to stare or invade her personal space, no one noticed her and it was delightfully enlightening. "Alright you two, go on and have some fun." Skye said a few moments later when she noticed Alison gazing enviously off into the crowd, though she couldn't see her face, the blonde's body language said it all. Emily looked down at Alison and winked, seconds later they were shoved out of the shadows and into the crowd, no one paid them any extra attention and Alison was already loving it. She felt Emily's hand around her waist again and it made her focus on the brunette.

"Would you care to dance Kobicha?" Emily giggled and Alison felt her eyes light up with excitement.

"Certainly, Indigo." She yelled over the music. Without a second of hesitation strong arms wrapped around Alison's body and pulled her close. Emily began swaying her hips in rhythm with Alison and the music, the blonde's arms slithered up her chest and around her neck, inviting her to move even closer.

"I've never been clubbing before." Alison stated as she leaned up to Emily's ears in hopes communication wouldn't be so difficult, however the music was still too loud and yelling was deemed necessary.

"I know." Emily replied and continued to dance, she smiled to herself because she knew Alison was finally getting to experience something she never thought she would.  
The women around them were all dressed differently, some were colourful and eye-draggingly-distracting, others in dark hoods trying to hide, like themselves. Alison couldn't help but look around, everything was catching her senses, the lights, the sounds of people yelling and singing, the music, the way some women were kissing very _intimately_ and not being afraid to be so open in public. It was all overwhelmingly disorientating at first but she gripped at Emily's neck and continued to sway along, letting the brunette lead while she continued to glance around the room.

"Something catch your eye, Miss DiLaurentis?" Emily pressed her lips against Alison's ear so it was not possible for anyone else to hear, not that anyone was paying attention. When she was realised how long she had been staring at the couples in the room Alison shyly ducked her head into Emily's chest and felt her cheeks turn bright red, she was suddenly even mores thankful for her mask. She felt Emily's hand move from her waist to her chin, lightly but forcefully she made Alison look at her, the brunette's eyes were gazing at her softly, searching for some sort of confirmation before leaning back to her ear. "We can do better." She almost whispered, making it almost impossible for Alison to hear but when she felt the hand on her chin move to the edges of the fabric that kept her identity hidden she felt her heart begin to race, not because she was afraid of being notice but excited to try something so new. Emily had already pulled down her mask passed her chin when she was only half way through moving Alison's, she was going slowly mostly because she was silently asking for permission, when the blonde nodded she too began to help with her mask. Alison hadn't been used to wearing such loose and casual clothing but it made every new thing she was experiencing feel familiar, or at least not so foreign and terrifying, and as Emily's warm finger tips tested the hot waters that were Alison's still burning cheeks she smiled lightly before letting out a chuckle.

"I really like it when you blush." She said, again loud enough that Alison could hear but no one else could. She went to hide her face out of embarrassment, which was very unlike Alison, but was stopped by Emily's dominant lips against her own. They had stopped bopping up and down to the music and instead began to sway, their focus more on their kissing rather than their dancing. Alison felt Emily's tongue graze against her bottom lip, silently asking for entrance which was quickly granted, they continued to move to the music but slowly, and most likely out of rhythm unlike their lips which felt like they were doing some sort of exotic dance, in perfect time. Alison could already feel a twist in the pit of her stomach, she was excited and hot, and completely unaware of the people around her. It was refreshing, until someone had accidentally bumped Emily, they turned and apologised while giving them a wink.

"Do you want a drink?" Emily asked as she pulled up Alison's mask back to its original spot. She nodded and followed the brunette after she grabbed her hand and guided her away from the dance floor. People were having a good time, the music was decent and loud enough that it drained out Alison's thoughts, she could feel herself letting go and it felt great. She saw Emily nod at a few different people as they weaved in and out of the crowd, when they finally made their way off the dance floor they headed towards the quieter part of the club that was the bar. The edge of the bar was crowded and people were lining up around each other to try and get a drink, Alison saw Emily sigh.

"What's wrong?" She asked curiously as Emily tried to position themselves as close to the bar as possible.

"This might take a while. One thing I never liked about clubbing." She shrugged casually.

"Hey you two, follow me." Someone said suddenly behind them but before they could turn to investigate they felt hands on their arms pulling them away from the bar and towards the staircase, LED lights surrounded the railings and a small rope with a 'VIP access only' sign hung between it and the wall. Skye flashed something at the woman who was guarding the rope, she nodded and let them through, both Emily and Alison were being pulled up the staircase before they could question Skye's actions, the room above was significantly less crowded but just as lively, there was a tall muscular man hovering in the back corner watching over the people and another much skinnier man walking around serving them drinks. The room itself was more like a balcony overlooking the dance floor, a few people were leaning against it while a few others were looking over it, scanning the mass of people below.

"Ask him for a drink, you'll get it much quicker." Skye pointed at the waiter and began searching the area for something else. "There should be another server around here so get as much as you want." She shrugged and sat on the leather lounge where Violet was already waiting, a new drink in her hand and a smile on her face, her mask was down since it seemed she couldn't be bothered doing the tango of constantly moving it up and down for a sip of her beverage.

"Why don't you join us?" She asked as she swung her legs over Skye's legs and wrapped her arm around her neck, snuggling further into her girlfriends' body so there was plenty of room for Emily and Alison to sit. As they got comfortable Skye waved at the man hovering around with an empty drink tray, they decided it would be easier to get something large that they could share instead of constantly ordering.

"So, what's your colour? I never asked." Emily asked when the man was gone with an order of vodka and different types of soda's, she pulled Alison against her and was quick to place an arm around her shoulder and cuddle her.

"Azure." Skye replied while turning her head away from Violet's lips, though that didn't stop her from kissing the bass of Skye's neck. Emily looked to Alison expectantly, hoping she would know the colour.

"What? Just because I knew a colour name as abstract as Kobicha, you expect me to know all the different colours of the Hex triplet?" The blonde questioned with a scoff and Emily rose an eyebrow in confusion. "Hex triple is a colour representation for computers." She answered, slightly embarrassed.

"Well, the fact that you knew that leads me to believe that… yeah… maybe." Emily giggled and leaned closer to the blonde.

"Well, that's very presumptuous of you." Alison shoved back at the brunette playfully before looking over at Violet and Skye who were watching them carefully.

"So, you're saying you don't know that colour?" Emily laughed and wiggled her eyebrows challengingly at the blonde who scoffed at her and returned her gaze back to Violet and Sky who were chuckling at their squabbling.

"It's commonly known as sky blue." She answered smugly and poked her tongue out at Emily when the two girls across from them nodded and hummed as though they were impressed.

"Very smart girl you've got there." Skye replied and Alison smiled proudly, though the brunette's mask was up she knew she was smiling proudly also. A few short moments later the man returned with a bottle of vodka, two different pitchers of soft drinks and some spare red cups, Emily took two and began mixing.

"And a very big ring on that finger of yours." Violet pointed out as Emily poured the vodka, she paused and looked down at her engagement ring, she blushed and looked over at Alison who's eyes light up proudly. "Have you been saving up since you were a kid, or something?" Violet continued with a chuckle and it had only just occurred to Emily that Violet didn't know who she or Alison were, though this didn't shock her for some reason she assumed Skye would have told her.

"Something like that." Alison shrugged casually in return and took the cup Emily was offering her, adjusting her mask so she could take a sip of drink the blonde sat back against the lounge and waited until Emily was comfortable before slipping herself in between the brunette's arm and chest, making an effort to snuggle against her. Not even five minutes of conversation had passed before Violet and Skye occupied themselves with a little bit too much public affection.

"Is this okay? Did I pull you away from the dance floor?" Emily's ear was against Alison as she asked.

"This is great and we spent plenty of time on there. I like this, I can hear you but I'm still out partying and having a good time. This is definitely more than okay, thank you again so much for this." Alison said as she turned to face Emily, she was beginning to wonder if she had an issue with watching couples.

"Okay good, I was worried I had brought you away from your fun." She said with relief and Alison smiled, her hands making a comfortable landing around the back of Emily's neck and softly tugging at her to lean in. Touching their lips lightly together Emily teased the blonde's lips with her tongue, it was intoxicating and Alison was sure it had nothing to do with the alcohol she had already consumed. She wanted so desperately to push Emily further into the lounge and straddle her but she reminded herself, constantly, where they were and how inappropriate it was – no matter how many other people around them that weren't so concerned.

-x-

Time seemed to fly and it was suddenly the early hours of the morning, Emily was watching Alison make friends with a group of girls that had pulled them from the VIP section hours before and took them to the dance floor. The club was quieting down but people were still dancing and drinking and all up having a good time. Emily was beginning to feel the weight of the day fall of her shoulders, she would've have been concerned about Alison if the blonde weren't obviously having a good time. She was leaning against the bar watching as the blonde swayed in the group on the dance floor, they were all huddled and laughing and it made Emily smile, the night couldn't have gone any better.

"Hey there, can I get you a drink?" The woman at the bar asked casually, she was leaning close to Emily but not invasively so.

"Nah thanks, I'm driving, just needed a place to lean for a moment." She replied genuinely and the woman smiled, she looked Emily over and tried to identify her – as though it were physically possible.

"You're new around her." She pointed out casually as she cleaned the counter with a damp cloth.

"How did you know?" The brunette questioned, surprise evident in her tone.

"Eh, work in the same place long enough you start to recognise the regulars, whether they're masked or not." She shrugged and she excused herself to serve someone, Emily looked away and caught Alison looking at her, the blonde quickly shifted her gaze only to look back shyly. She mouthed 'are you okay' and turned back to the group when Emily gave her a reassuring nod. "Plus, that ring is a bit too high-class for down town LA." The woman returned with a glass of water and presented it to Emily, it was then the brunette noticed how thirsty she was, without hesitating she thanked the woman and took it and looked down at her ring finger again.

"A few people have noticed it tonight." She said more to herself than the woman behind the bar.

"Well I think that's because it's something that should be noticed, whomever got you that is claiming you all their own, or is insane." She laughed and Emily chuckled along.

"Could it be both?" The brunette replied sarcastically.

"I suppose so." The woman laughed again and took the empty glass a few girls had placed on the counter as they walked passed, they nodded and continued on their way, laughing and singing and squeezing passed the last of the crowd to leave. "So, is the woman who gave you that here tonight? Or are you a straight woman engaged to a super-rich stock broker questioning her sexuality?"

"I'm definitely not straight." Emily laughed at the thought and looked back over at Alison, the blonde was truly beautiful no matter where she was or what she was wearing, every time Emily's eyes fell upon she felt her heart jump, she never wanted to forget that feeling. "And my fiancé is on the dance floor, with that large group, she's the shortest one." She pointed and the woman searched, when her eyes fell upon Alison she also looked her over, though the blonde wasn't facing them directly she could see out of the corner of her eye that she was being looked at.

"The one with, and excuse me for my boldness, the great ass."

"Great _everything_." Emily replied proudly, and she heard the woman hum in agreement.

"Hey baby." Alison was suddenly in front of Emily, she had been so focused on staring at the beautiful woman that she had barely registered that she had left the dance floor and was walking towards her.

"Hey gorgeous, having fun?" She smiled when she felt Alison's hands on her waist, she was swaying happily with the help of probably just a little bit too much alcohol, though it seemed clear that since she had stopped drinking about an hour ago that the effects were slowly wearing off.

"Oh ya, you're so pretty." She giggled and snuggled into Emily's chest, then again, the effects remained present – even after an hour.

"Thank you." Emily laughed and she placed her mouth against Alison's head, though there was no point kissing it since she was wearing her mask and the blonde's hood was up. "Are you ready to go home?" Alison looked up and nodded, it looked as though she yawned but in the bright flashing lights it was impossible to tell. Twenty minutes later they had finally said all their goodbyes to the friends they had made and were making their way to the back exit with Violet and Ida.

"Thanks for this." Emily said gratefully as she opened the door, the cold night air hit her like a wave in the ocean, it was surprising but alluringly refreshing.

"No problem, see you at the conference video call on Tuesday." She waved them goodbye before slipping her arm around Violet and pulling her back inside.

Alison was at Emily's side, muttered a song that had been playing in the club while swaying incongruously, it made the brunette laugh that she had such a lack of rhythm in her state, though it seemed it was deliberate the moment Alison swung around in front of her and started singing freely. Emily was momentarily worried that the blonde might wake people up until she realised the buildings surrounding them were mostly industrial or work offices of some kind. She looked back down to see Alison had taken off her mask and hood, her hair was ruffled and unkempt from the exhausting night she had but she still looked beautiful, Emily would've said something if she wasn't enjoying Alison dancing and swaying in the alleyway as they made their way slowly to the car. She continued to sing and whirly happily, and it made a smile stretch across Emily's face, she knew the night had been a success.

"I have never felt so free." The blonde hummed as she drew her attention from the sky back to Emily, standing closer Alison moved the brunette's mask and giggled quietly, a shy smile combined with a soft blush rose in her face. "Do you remember the very first night we met and you said I was mysterious?"

"Yes, I remember." Emily replied, her curiosity getting the better of her instead of her mind insisting they get to the car and drive home before the sun came up – they obviously had time but she didn't know who was lurking around the corner and she didn't want any more photos of her and Alison on the internet, or news. Slipping the blonde's hood up she smiled and gave her a look of encouragement, indicating she should continue without questioning her gesture.

"Well, I think you're mysterious."

"I recall you did say that, that night." Emily chuckled and realised how close Alison's lips were to her own. "Come on, we need to get home." She gave Alison a quick kiss before pulling her to the car. The blonde continued to smile and sing, but significantly quieter than before.

-x-

Cutting the engine Emily was about to undo her seat belt when she felt cool hands on her cheeks pulling her across the seat. The drive home had been quick given that a lot of the LA traffic was not existent at the early hours of the morning, well not to the extent that was rush hour traffic. Alison had happily looked out the window, watching the night life as she sang along to Emily's playlist, but now she had a different focus in mind since they were in the shelter of their garage. Kissing Emily passionately she wasted no time in pushing the brunette's leather hoodie of her body, it was a struggle even in the spacious car but Emily was quick to help and do the same with the blonde's hoodie. In no time at all Alison had managed to manoeuvre her body out of her seat and into Emily's lap, she was about to pull the brunette in for a passionate kiss when she noticed her wince in pain.

"What's wrong?" She whispered for some reason, she seemed to be afraid of the answer.

"Nothing baby, my shoulder is a little stiff that's all." Emily replied casually as she shifted her shoulder in hopes it would wake the sore limb up. It had begun to hard half way through the night and she knew it was because she had over done it, pushed herself too much but she didn't care, it had all been worth it. Alison watching Emily adjust and the pain on her face slowly disappear but that stopped her from being so rough, she had sometimes been guilty of forgetting Emily's injury, since the brunette had been so phlegmatic about it – to her credit though she had never ceased to amaze Alison with her strength.

"Can we continue where we left off at the look out? Or should you rest?" She asked cautiously as she sat back slightly.

"I haven't let you down so far with my arm, have I?" The brunette challenged but before Alison could respond she felt Emily's skilful hand unbutton her jeans and move through the fabric to cup her sex, moaning in surprise she shook her head and sat forward once more. "Didn't think so." She said proudly and leaned up to embrace Alison in a passion kiss, their teeth grazing together before Emily boldly but gently bit down on the blonde's bottom lip with perfect timing. Her hand was taking quick control as she adjusted her position to gain easier access, Alison moved with her, submitting herself completely the more Emily held her and kissed her, she may have had alcohol in her system but felt more affected by the brunette's touch than any drink she had that night, or any night before that. "Move forward again." Emily demanded quietly and Alison obediently complied, her centre rubbing against Emily's strong hand as she rocked forward. She moaned at her own actions and felt Emily's lips stray to her neck, she kissed and sucked gently but when she told Alison to move forward a second time she timely bit down combining the tiniest piece of pain with pleasure. Alison gasped in surprise then moaned when Emily kissed the spot and ran her tongue soothingly over it. She repeated this process many times, teasing Alison with a climax but holding back the moment the blonde was close. She puffed desperately and clutched to Emily's sides encouraging her to follow through, she told herself that when the brunette told her to move forward again to resist the urge and stay as still as possible, though it seemed like an unattainable goal the moment she actually had to try. "Being purposefully defiant, Miss DiLaurentis?" Emily laughed, knowing that her teasing was driving her fiancé insane.

"I… I can't let… you have all the control." The blonde puffed in return and Emily smirked.

"I love how stubborn you are." She whispered into her ear while completely stopping her actions. Alison shuttered before clutching desperately to Emily's back only to string her hands wildly into the thick chocolate locks of her hair. "I don't have to continue if you would prefer to take control?" Emily challenged, she felt this wave over confidence rush over her, it only ever happened when Alison was in a state like the current one. She chuckled as the blonde inhaled a sharp breath in a very futile attempt to regain some decorum, twitching her fingers slowly she massaged the brunette's scalp and tried to convince herself not to move, not to give in. "Do you want me to continue?" Emily asked in a whisper and Alison shivered, her voice was husky and alluring, and totally disarming. She felt disorientated by Emily's confidence, it wasn't that she didn't love it – in fact in made her lips tremble in apprehension – but she had never fully been used to being dominated. The only response she could manage was a nod and she began to prep her body for a continuance, but when the brunette below didn't move she moved backwards in a huff. "Do you want me to continue?" She repeated and Alison blushed as Emily's hands moved underneath her shirt and played lightly with the soft skin of her hips.

"Yes." She fluttered shyly, her eyes closing in pleasure and her body moving closer to Emily's again.

"Kiss me." She insisted and Alison didn't hesitate in dipping her head to kiss her.

"Is this your way of torturing me?" Alison mumbles through their passionate kissing and she felt the brunette smirk against her.

"You looked so sexy tonight, and this morning, god Ali." She replied breathlessly. "How could you leave me this morning looking the way you did?"

"I had too." The blonde groaned when she felt Emily's hand slip back down her pants and tease her lightly with the tip of a finger.

"I know, but I also know you were showing that gorgeous body off just to torture me a little because I was being secretive about the date."

Though it was playful banter, the notion hadn't really occurred to Alison until Emily had pointed it out, had she really dressed up a little extra to torment her fiancé? She broke the kiss and dipped her head in embarrassment, though she knew Emily was only teasing she felt perplex that it had taken her this long to not only figure it out but have the brunette be the one to ratify it first. "I didn't say it was a bad thing." The brunette shifted her body so she was forcing Alison to look at her. "I couldn't stop thinking about you all day."

"I didn't mean to torture you." Alison grumbled apprehensively.

"Torture is a strong word, tantalise is more accurate I think." She justified quickly and Alison finally mustered up the courage to look at her again. "There's those beautiful eyes. Now, where was I? Hmm?" She cooed as she curled her fingers and Alison moaned at her dexterity.

"Yes, there." She hummed encouragingly, hoping the brunette would not tease her any longer. She luckily rewarded by Emily's stringent fingers curling around her wet folds, she felt her heart race like it had just been awoken after many years of slumber, it was fast and irregular but young and eager, ready to prove itself worthy to any task. She breathed in, steading this vehemence and looked at Emily who was gazing up at her lovingly, her eyes studying as Alison's body welcomed her touch.

"You really are so beautiful." The brunette commented as Alison let out a moan, in response she tried to continue massaging Emily's scalp, hoping it was encouraging and motivating but she was feeling so much pleasure that it was almost impossible to be sure if she had formatted any sort of massaging motion. She held onto Emily as her climax grew, praying and aching for a release as she moved her hips back and forth, though she prospect of car sex had never reached her mind Alison found it quite exciting, even if it was in their garage and slightly constricting in terms of space. The thought didn't stay for long though, her mind travelled back to Emily's skilful hands and focused more on her climax. After she came undone above the brunette she collapsed against her, the weight of their foreplay teasing alone was enough to make her exhausted, but in a good way. Emily was rubbing her back soothingly with her injured arm, though Alison should have insisted against it she couldn't help but move closer to the brunette's embrace. She shuttered when Emily withdrew her fingers but her lips were quickly covered in a wet but passionate kiss.

"Are you tired?" Emily asked with a giggle as Alison held in a yawn and continued to recover. "Let's get inside." She continued as she did up the button on Alison's jeans and patted her sides lightly. Opening the door, they awkwardly turned and managed to get out of the car without injuring one another, Alison was the first out and waited as the brunette pulled out their jackets.

"Lots of firsts tonight." She stated quietly as Emily elegantly got out of the car.

"Indeed." She replied with a wink. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Very much, and the club was alright too." Alison joked and Emily laughed along as she entered the house alarm number before unlocking the door.

"Welcome home, Alison and Emily." Av said as Emily switched on the hallway light, after greeting Av they made their way into the bedroom and began reading themselves for sleep.

"In all seriousness, was it a good night?" Emily asked, she was sitting on the bed in old slacks and a baggy shirt watching Alison taking off her mascara.

"It was perfect." The blonde replied as she threw the used make-up wipe into the bin, turning she walked over to Emily and wasted no time in straddling her, though this time it wasn't sexual. It was sign of pure adoration. "I couldn't have asked for a better first date." She continued with a kiss and then pushed Emily down on the bed, smirking knowingly.

-x-

It was late morning when Emily woke up, the sun was peeking through the blinds of their master bedroom as a thick yellow intruder threatening to sicken her with an unnerving reminder that even though she had indeed slept, it wouldn't have been for long enough. She wanted to groan in discomfort but settled with stretching and rolling over, she felt for Alison and patted the empty space, that was when she grumbled a groan. The space was warm but cooling, she had guessed Alison had been gone for no longer than five minutes, ten at the most but that was most probably what had initiated her awakening.

"I didn't want to wake you, but I am glad you're up." The blonde was at the doorway with a mug of coffee in both hands, dressed in nothing but her silk gown that Emily had grown very fond of over time. She rose from the bed and searched for a shirt of her own that had been thrown off in the early hours of the morning not so long ago, as she put it on Alison was back at the bed placing the coffees on either bed side table, she muffled a 'thank you' through the shirt to the blonde when she heard the mug thud softly against the soft wood. When she was comfortably clothed she reached for the coffee mug only to retract and give Alison a kiss. The blonde giggled in surprised, her lips tasted sweet and yet bitter, it was the combined taste of Alison and the strong coffee she had every day, at least twice.

"Now that we've had a date I find it appropriate to go shopping for a ring for you." Emily said out of the blue and while Alison was taking a sip of coffee, while the statement itself wasn't alarming it was the suddenness that surprised her. "I got Derek to help organise us looking for a ring later this afternoon."

"So that was why he was acting so strange yesterday." Alison chuckled as everything finally made sense.

"Most likely. He said he wasn't sure if you were ready to tell people so he organised for us to go to a Jeweller in Beverly Hills, I can't remember the name but he said they were good with security."

"I want to tell people." Alison said when Emily went silent, she wanted to interrupt her the moment she heard the slightest tone of hurt in her voice at the idea of not wanting to tell people about their engagement but she allowed the brunette to finish. "The only reason I was uneasy was because I thought Derek wouldn't agree, it hadn't really occurred to me that I shouldn't care, it hadn't occurred to me that it didn't matter. I guess I've just been so used to needing his approval."

"The idea that you need anyone's approval is almost baffling." Emily chuckled as she drank, Alison rest her head against the brunette and sighed while inhaling her own coffee deeply.

"I would think it should be quite obvious that, for a long time, I have very much relied not only on your approval but you in general." Alison said confidently and snuggled deeper into Emily's hold.

"Obvious? Ali, you're a secretive person, I know that and always have. Obvious isn't really your thing." The brunette stated plainly, she didn't sound angry nor did she seem upset but Alison sensed she had done wrong by being the secretive person that she was. "You're overthinking now." Emily hummed as she shifted to place her coffee back on the bedside table. "I did not say I had an issue with this, my love." She was facing Alison now, stroking her cheek gently and smiling softly, the blonde's thin lips turned into a small smile and she felt herself loosen up as Emily gazed at her lovingly.

"I like that." She purred quietly as she referred to how the brunette had addressed her, it was old fashioned and would probably now be considered a sort of unique antique that people would most probably scrunch their nose at in public but secretly crave it in private. " _My love_." Emily laughed lightly and pulled her in for a kiss.

"So, ring shopping?" She enquired after pulling away.

"Absolutely."

The rest of the morning consisted of them sitting in the living room paying little attention to the television that had some series Alison had put on mostly to pass the time. By the time they had eaten was late enough to consider it lunch, and by the time they were dressed and ready they still had enough time to cuddle and watch television. Alison had always been somewhat of a late dresser, she took her time in getting ready which usually made her late, though she just insisted it was always worth it, as it was a small price to pay to look fabulous. Living with Emily however had taught her some expeditious skills, she now was ready a lot quicker, or at least wasn't keeping Mason waiting or in this instance Duncan and Derek. They were waiting outside in the Range Rover when Alison had finally mustered up the courage to ask the question that had been lingering in her mind since Emily had asked about getting her a ring.

"Can I help pay for the ring?" She was behind Emily when she asked and the brunette froze in her spot, half way through opening the front door for her. She closed it and turned to face the blonde whose head was dipped slightly.

"Ali, baby. I don't have a mortgage to pay, you've insisted on paying the bills until I've had more than a few pay cheques. The truth is, my job pays well, really well. Not as well as yours obviously but I think if you've bought me a ring then I should buy you one. Unless you have something in mind that I can't afford on my own?" She placed a finger underneath Alison's chin, forcing the blonde to look at her. "Please, let me do this." She insisted and Alison sighed before smiling and nodding.

"I just don't want you to think I don't want to help." The blonde murmured as Emily went to turn, she however turned back once more and looked at Alison carefully. It was then she realised this was how Alison showed she loved and cared, though it may have seemed controlling from the outside Emily knew it was more than that, the blonde didn't know much else and she had spent so long after Luke repressing her feelings that expressing them wasn't easy.

"You have helped more than you know sweetheart. Now, let's go I want to put a ring on it." She gestured Alison to walk out first as she pulled her keys from her pocket to lock the front door.

It had felt like an eternity had gone by since Alison had been in the Range Rover, the height alone was something she had not only missed but had completely unadjusted to, it was almost disorientating at first. She sat back in the soft leather seat and took Emily's hand, stroking it softly. She listened as Emily, Derek and Duncan talked, her eyes occasionally gazed out but mostly she kept them on the brunette's warm tanned hand that played so innocently with her own.

"Did you have fun last night?" Duncan asked as he drove, he looked in the rear-view mirror at Alison and then back to the road, the traffic obviously driving him a little insane but he said nothing.

"Yes, a lot of fun."

"Mason was going a little crazy with worry, he wouldn't shut up about how you should have had security." Derek stated from the front passenger and Duncan chuckled with agreement. Alison didn't speak for the rest of the trip, Emily would've been worried if she didn't know the reason why, the blonde was overthinking – it didn't worry her though because it was part of who she was. She merely continued to rub her hand and smile when the blonde's eyes met her own.

"Pretty busy on the streets today." Duncan pointed out as he pulled the car into a free spot on a street Emily didn't recognise, she hadn't really explored Beverly Hills – she felt it was too high end for her, though Alison seemed to fit right in. She looked beautiful as always, wearing a beautiful summer dress and a soft cardigan thrown over it with the sleeves pushed up, it may have been casual but she never ceased to look so stunning.

"We'll be fine." Alison insisted and Duncan nodded, he had turned the car off and looked over at Alison as if searching for an answer to an unspoken question. He then got out of the car and walked around to Alison's side, however she was getting out and putting her sunglasses on by the time he had made it, Emily was soon at her side, feeling a bit nervous for being so openly in public with the blonde. However, with Duncan and Derek at their sides she sensed they wouldn't be approached, more hoped it than anything else. Lost in her thoughts Emily barely noticed Alison link their arms, it wasn't until their hands clasped together against their combined arms that she finally stopped looking around waiting for someone with a camera to attack them.

"It's okay, no one's going to bother us. But I can expect someone with a camera in the distance watching us." She murmured as she watched the brunette put her own sunglasses on with one hand, wincing at the extension of her injured arm, she would have to remember to massage it for her later.

"That's not creepy at all." Emily said sarcastically as she squeezed the blonde's hand.

"You get used to it." The blonde shrugged and followed Derek down sidewalk, the day was bright and warm, typical LA weather that was welcomed greatly by both Alison and Emily. The fresh air against their skin after a night of clubbing in a crowded area full of sweaty drunk people was invigorating. They walked quietly, Emily would duck her head whenever someone passed them and Derek would make his presence known to whomever looked at little too closely. They didn't need to walk long however. They were stopped in front of a small white building, it was two stories and only the second had windows, there was a gate that blocked them from entering and an intercom that Derek was already buzzing when Emily realised they were stopping.

"Hi, we have an appointment at three under DiLaurentis." Derek answered the woman spoke through the small speaker of the intercom asking what their business was, there was no reply after he spoke though, only a buzzing sound and the clicking of the gate.

"This is fancy." Emily muttered and she suddenly felt nervous, this place may have been out of her price range which wasn't what she wanted at all, it wasn't her pride that got in the way of asking Alison to help pay for the ring it was the principle of it all. She wanted to buy the blonde the ring.

"A lot of jewellers in LA have good security, this however is for the more _private_ buyer. This jeweller in particular has a reputation for doing celebrity works." Alison said casually as Duncan opened the gate and allowed them to walk passed, Derek followed and Duncan neurotically scanned the streets before also following. Walking inside the only option was to walk up a flight of stairs which lead to a small corridor that connected to a large room with glass cases, there was a clean glass door that was almost invisible but was quickly opened by a man in a smart black suit. He smiled and nodded as they entered.

"Wow." Emily swallowed nervously and looked over at Alison who was looking around the room. The room itself was modernly styled with a hint of old fashion, the walls were a sharp wooden brown that had a glossy finish to it. The lights were bright and complementing to the jewellery that sparkled innocently in the locked glass cases that were spread around the room. A young woman was standing behind one of them cleaning a ring, she gave them a smile before continuing her task.

"Very nice, isn't it?" Alison asked as she walked further in, pulling Emily encouraging. "Don't be nervous." She said when she saw the worry on her fiancé's face.

"I'll try not to be, for the moment I am both nervous and excited." The brunette replied.

"Miss DiLaurentis, how lovely to see you again." An older woman charmed happily as she entered the room, a black art folder in her hand and a large smile on her face.

"And you, Ms Williamson." Alison nodded at her and presented her hand to the woman, her hair was a dark blonde and she was dressed in a suit that Emily was sure costed more than anything she had ever owned, combined. However, she smiled and too presented her hand when the woman presented it to her.

"You must be Miss Fields, how wonderful to finally met you. I see the ring fits excellently. I must say, it took me a while to create that masterpiece, I am certainly glad it suits you so well." Emily blushed and looked down at her ring.

"So, you made this?" Emily asked shyly and the woman smiled, she was probably a few years older than her parents, the brunette couldn't pinpoint a name since the woman was wearing make-up and dressed so finely.

"With my own two hands." She replied proudly and outstretched her hand for the two to stand by the glass counter finally with differently designed diamond rings. Derek and Duncan informed them they would be outside, Emily had paid attention to the reason why. "Now, I have a few designs I thought you would like Ms DiLaurentis, from what you told me last time."

"I don't believe I told you much." Alison said with a laugh and Emily looked between her fiancé and the rings. They were all so beautiful, so unique and radiant. She would have no idea what Alison truly want but none of them personally stuck out, she felt they were all too modern and though they were different there was something about them all that seemed, similar.

"I pay attention." Ms Williamson replied while opening her black art folder and placing it on the counter in front of them.

After twenty minutes of flipping through the book Alison began trying different rings on, no matter which one she tried the ring instantly looked beautiful on her finger. Emily smiled each time, she could definitely get used to the image of a ring on her blonde's finger. Every so often she would be asked for an opinion which every time threw her off balance, she had no idea what she thought after forty-five minutes.

"Did any of them stand out for you?" Alison looked over at Emily and she paused before answering, mostly because she didn't have an answer right away.

"They're all very beautiful," She finally began, directing the statement more to the Jeweller standing patiently behind the glass counter, "But, they're not you." She finished honestly and Alison smiled before they both looked back to Ms Williamson. "Do you have something more…" She paused as she searched for the correct word, " _Antiquated_."

"I have one ring, that I think might be what you're looking for, give me a moment." Ms Williamson replied and disappeared out a door Emily hadn't noticed until that moment, she looked at Alison apologetically which confused the blonde.

"Did you like any of them?" She asked before Alison could question her.

"They were all very beautiful, but I agree with you, they're all too modern and _blingy_ , for lack of a better word. While I'm fashionable, I like older styles." She looked down at rings, the glass separating her and them, she didn't know what she liked at that point but the moment the right ring appeared she would know. She hoped that was the case anyway. She felt Emily's hand on her waist, rubbing it encouragingly to gain her attention.

"You don't have to settle, you know?" The brunette insisted and Alison paused before nodding, Emily wanted to further the conversation but was interrupted by Ms Williamson returning, a small black box in her hand, identical to the box Alison had kept Emily's ring in. The woman smiled knowingly and placed the box on the glass in front of them, no one said anything for a what probably would have been considered an eternity if Alison and Emily weren't trying to figure out who was to open the box first. Finally, Alison was the first to move, she took the box slowly and opened it, inside was a gold solitaire ring, with a unique floral design patterned with small diamonds reaching into the centre to draw attention to the single stone that sat highly in its basket.

"This ring, it's not usually something I make or even really present. The design had come to me not long ago and I decided to make it and keep it for a special customer." Ms Williamson stated as Alison twisted the box to inspect the jewellery.

"Special customer?" Alison twitched an eyebrow curiously before handing the box to the woman when she placed her hand politely. She went on about the features of the ring, Alison had an understanding but Emily stood there and listened not knowing much at all. Not that it mattered, she wasn't looking at the ring but the facial expression Alison was presenting, she loved it, the brunette could instantly tell.

"I needed to be sure this ring would be loved," Ms Williamson began, "I spent twelve weeks creating it." Emily looked at the woman in surprise, she had no idea how long it would take to make a ring but twelve weeks seemed like an incredibly long time.

"Try it on." Emily said as Ms Williamson handed the box back to Alison. The blonde looked up at Emily cautiously, as if the idea of trying the ring on was impossible. "I know you love it." She whispered and she took the ring out of the soft cushioned box, passing it to the blonde with a smirk she noted the weight for such a small piece of jewellery, she supposed the weight was a good thing considering hers felt the same. Alison took it and placed it on her finger, it fitted perfectly, she didn't know the odds of that but the more it sat on her finger the more she admired it and loved it.

Half an hour they were walking back down the stairs heading outside, the afternoon sun surprising their skin after being so adjusted to the air-conditioned building, the sensation was almost as shocking as jumping into a cool swimming pool on a warm day, instantly refreshing however.

"Are you happy?" Emily asked as she and Alison walked through the gate Duncan was holding open for them.

"Infinitely so." Alison replied and she took Emily's hand.

"I suppose it would be inappropriate to ask you to marry me in the street, wouldn't it?" Emily said casually on their way back to the car, she felt Alison turn to look at her in surprise.

"Is that why you didn't want me to wear it right away?" The blonde enquired curiously.

"You may have asked me first but that doesn't stop me from wanting to ask you." Emily had her hand on the small black box that was securely in her jacket pocket, sure it wasn't overly _rich_ of her to keep it there but she didn't want Alison to put it on in a jewellery shop and that be the end of it. She no longer cared who was around, though she knew the street traffic was significantly busier given the time of day, kids were finished at school and most people were finished at work but she didn't care as she sank to one knee next to the black Range Rover. Alison's face lit up as she took her hand, her cheeks were a warm red and her eyes were watering.

"Alison DiLaurentis, I have never been one for speeches. In fact, when I'm around you I'm practically speechless and I know you've already proposed because you have to do things first." She smirked and Alison giggled. "And you know I can't offer you much but I will love you, unconditionally and indubitably so, forever. I will do whatever is humanly possible to achieve your happiness, to make you feel cherished and loved." Her hands were trembling though she didn't know why, it was probably because she was now beginning to notice that there was an audience, a few people were crowded a distance away, too afraid to interfere because of Duncan who had made him noticeable to them and Derek who had done the same. She looked back to Alison, forgetting about the people and their phones, she didn't care. She loved Alison and a small part of her was proud to be doing this in front of people, to show that love to the world and to show the world that Alison was hers. Pulling the small box from her pocket she opened it and faced forward to the blonde. "Will you marry me?" She asked after a very deep breath, she would have felt silly if she didn't see the happiness spread across Alison's face, every facial feature displayed the emotion making it obvious that Emily had indeed done the right thing.

"Of course I will." She laughed and cried in unison, Emily smiled happily and took the ring from the box where it would never sit again. Sliding it onto Alison's finger she heard people clapping and actually cheering, this caused a blush of her own to form but she was quickly pulled from the ground and into a passionate kiss. "I love you."

In that moment, Emily was content, she wasn't worried about anything, money or the crowd. None of it mattered, she had made the right decision. "Guess we're now officially engaged." She giggled as Derek directed them to the car after saying his congratulations.

"I guess so." The blonde replied happily as the door closed with a thud, her thoughts far away from the people outside as Duncan drove away.

 **Okay guys I know this probably seems a little ridiculous or unrealistic. I don't know a whole lot about how LA works or the celebrity thing, I can only guess (which is basically what this chapter was – except the jewellery part – I know some high-end stores actually have a vast security system) Anyways my point was don't let too much truth get in the way of a story! Please don't judge too much, it is only fanfic, if you're not happy well…. Don't read it? :)**

 **Anyways I hope you were happy with the date as well! I thought it was something a little different – I enjoyed writing it too!**

 **Again, thanks so much for all the lovely comments about my surgery! I do appreciate it.**

 **Review and comment if you've got any ideas or pointers.**


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